Wants More Information Before Placing An Order With Boeing For The Upgraded Widebody

Boeing has long been hinting about the next variant of its widebody 777 airliner, which for now has been dubbed the 777X. One of the potential launch customers is Qatar Airways, the second-largest airline in the Persian Gulf.

But the CEO of the company, Akbar Al Baker, is not quite ready to sign on the dotted line for the new triple-7, according to a report from Bloomberg News. He wants more information about the airplane before committing to a purchase. During an interview at the IATA General Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa recently Al Baker said that "it is too short a time since the program was launched."

Boeing expects the latest 777 variant, with updated wings and engines, will be available about 2020, and that Qatar's next triple-7 order will likely be for the new aircraft.

Al Baker said that Qatar Airways will not be buying any of the new, larger 787-10X airplanes. Singapore Airlines was the first carrier to agree to acquire the larger Dreamliner, though Boeing's board has not yet greenlighted its construction.

FMI: www.boeing.com