Qatar signs $200 billion deal with Boeing, hopes US aircraft manufacturer will turn around
Qatar has signed a massive $200 billion deal to buy 160 planes from US aircraft manufacturer Boeing. US President Donald Trump and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani officially signed the deal on Wednesday.
All of the planes in this huge order will be purchased to expand Qatar Airways’ fleet, it has been reported. President Trump called the deal “a great deal” and congratulated Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg.
The deal comes at a crucial time for Boeing. The company faced various crises in early 2024—the company suffered a major blow to confidence when a 737 Max plane crashed open on Alaska Airlines. Then, a series of plane order cancellations, production disruptions, and labor strikes drastically reduced the company’s production and supply capacity.
Boeing delivered just 348 planes in 2024, down 34 percent from 2023. At the same time, the Trump administration’s “Liberation Day” tariff policy and the threat of foreign retaliatory tariffs have increased Boeing’s import costs for parts. This has also increased the cost of building each plane alarmingly.
Boeing’s share price rose 1.7 percent immediately after the announcement of the deal, which has raised investor hopes. However, market analysts have warned that past experience shows that such big announcements are often canceled later.
Analysts believe that the Trump administration is consciously bringing such large orders for Boeing as part of trade negotiations. Even last week, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that a UK airline has signed a deal to buy $10 billion worth of planes from Boeing.
This big deal is undoubtedly a relief for Boeing. However, to ultimately turn around, the company must now focus on rebuilding quality, safety, and trust, analysts said.
