The Qatar Airways Fleet In 2021

Qatar Airways has one of the most diverse fleets in the world, operating virtually every aircraft type in some capacity. From the grounded Airbus A380s to the brand-new Boeing 787-9s, the airline has had a year of fleet changes. Here’s a look at Qatar Airways’ fleet in 2021.

Qatar Airways has bucked general aviation trends in many ways during the pandemic. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Big and small

Unlike its competitor Emirates, which is famous for its 777 and A380 fleet, Qatar Airways is a lot more flexible with its planes. This came to the fore last year, as the pandemic decimated passenger traffic and airlines were flying negligible passengers every day. Thanks to its mixed fleet, Qatar was able to deploy the best possible plane on every route. Currently, Qatar Airways operates a total of 231 aircraft.

The stars of the show are the airline’s widebodies, which fly on the longest and highest demand markets. According to ch-aviation.com, here is Qatar Airways’ widebody fleet as it stands today,

• 48 Boeing 777-300ERs
• 34 Airbus A350-900s
• 30 787-8s
• 19 A350-1000s
• Nine 777-200LRs
• Eight A330-300s
• Seven A330-200s

The 777-300ER remains the backbone of the long-haul fleet, even as the A350 and 787s take center stage. Photo: Qatar Airways

This list does not include planes from the carrier’s cargo arm, which also flies the 747-8F. While there has been recent news of A350 groundings due to paint degradation issues and a pause in deliveries, the airline’s widebody fleet is only set to increase in the coming years. However, while the widebodies are the flashiest jets out there, they aren’t the only ones Qatar is flying.

Narrowbodies

Qatar Airways flies an exclusively Airbus A320 family fleet of narrowbodies. As of today, the carrier flies:

• 29 Airbus A320-200s
• Three A321-200s

Qatar Airways has orders for more A320s to modernize the fleet. Photo: Qatar Airways

These planes were particularly important during the pandemic, when several European and Asian destinations only saw Qatar’s A320s.

In addition to the classic A320s, Qatar has also placed orders for the A321LR, which will allow for more long and thin routes in the future and serving off-season ones. 

Changes

The one aircraft which has been absent from active service has been the Airbus A380. While Qatar has said goodbye to half the fleet, there have been mixed signals about the future of the remaining five superjumbos. Indeed, CEO Akbar Al-Baker has called the A380 the airline’s “worst mistake ever.”

The future of the A380 remains extremely uncertain, with current demand not supporting the type. Photo: Getty Images

However, the absence of one type doesn’t mean Qatar Airways hasn’t been busy. In July, the carrier’s long-awaited 787-9 Dreamliners entered service, featuring a brand new business class cabin.

After defeating deliveries last year, Qatar Airways is once again adding new planes to its fleet. With a total of 231 aircraft, expect to see even more exciting types join the Doha-based airline’s fleet in the next few years.

What do you think about Qatar Airways’ mixed fleet strategy? Which of these aircraft have you flown on? Let us know in the comments below!

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