Boeing lands huge airplane order from Qatar Airways

Boeing said Monday that Qatar Airways ordered up to 50 cargo planes and committed to buying up to 50 Boeing 737 Max jets, a huge win for the U.S. aircraft maker over European rival Airbus.

The companies did not disclose financial terms.

Boeing swooped in to land the orders shortly after Airbus canceled a Qatar Airways order because of an unusually public and bitter fight over Qatar’s complaints about the paint jobs on the European manufacturer's jets.

The order for cargo planes was announced during a signing ceremony at the White House. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo touted it as a “deal of historic significance" that will support jobs for American workers.

“It’s a win for our workers, our manufacturers, and our suppliers,” Raimondo said.

Boeing said Qatar Airways will be the first airline to operate the 777-8, a cargo-carrying version of the twin-aisle 777. The airline placed a firm order for 34 planes and took options for 16 more.

It's the largest order ever for Boeing cargo planes, the Chicago-based company said.

Demand for cargo planes has held up despite — or perhaps because of — the pandemic. With international passenger limited by travel restrictions, the number of long-haul passenger jets carrying cargo in their bellies has declined.

Qatar also signed a memorandum of understanding to order 25 Boeing 737 Max jets and take options on another 25. The 737 is a single-aisle plane used on shorter and medium-length flights.

Earlier in January, Airbus terminated a contract with Qatar for 50 of its A321neo jets — a direct competitor to some Boeing Max jets. That came after a long fight over Qatar Airways' complaints about cracked paint on its large Airbus A350 jets.