Qatar not impacted by A380 delay, eyes more orders

NO IMPACT: Al Baker said it had not been informed of any delay to the delivery of its A380s.

Doha-based Qatar Airways will not be impacted by the latest Airbus A380 delay and may place further orders for the superjumbo, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, Akbar Al Baker, said the airline had not been notified of delays and was on track to receive the first A380 in 2012.

“That’s a big no [to delays]. We have confirmed slots for 2012 and we are going to receive our airplanes by that time. We will not receive all five on order at once but the aircraft will be delivered to schedule by Airbus,” Al Baker said.

Etihad Airways and Emirates said on Tuesday that they faced further delays on delivery of the A380, stating that they had received warnings of delays from Airbus.

RELATED: Emirates hit by A380 delay

The warning follows an announcement by Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders last month that the European aircraft manufacturer is carrying out a major review of delivery targets for the A380.

RELATED: Mideast airlines face further A380 delay

Airbus has already delayed delivery of the A380 three times, causing its delivery schedule to fall almost two years behind after a series of industrial mishaps since 2005.

Al Baker said Qatar Airways would consider purchasing further A380s if the company saw demand from the market, without giving further details.

The carrier would operate its first A380 in 2012, he said.

However, Al Baker said the airline had been affected by the delay to Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and would seek compensation.

Qatar Airways has firm orders for 30 787s and options for 30 more, with deliveries scheduled from mid-2010 through to 2014.

RELATED: Boeing: Qatar Airways has placed 787 order

“We have been notified by Boeing of the delay, they are 12 months behind schedule - they have been let down by their supply chain,” he said.

Boeing announced in April the third major delay on the 787 due to slow progress on assembling the plane and continued struggles with underperforming suppliers.

RELATED: Gulf carriers largely unaffected by Boeing delay

Al Baker warned that rising fuel costs would soon be passed to passengers as airlines impacted by rocketing oil prices would be forced to charge more for flights.

Oil hit new all-time high on Tuesday, breaking through the $120 per barrel mark on supply concerns and a forecast of oil reaching over $200 a barrel within two years.

“People will still travel - it’s as simple as that. Aviation growth will continue, and we will still expand. Passengers will have to pay as costs increase,” he warned.

Qatar currently has 200 aircraft worth $30 billion on order to be delivered by 2017, including A380s, Boeing 777s, 787s and A350s.

Qatar currently operates 62 aircraft which will grow to 70 by the end this year. The fleet will be expanded to 110 within five years.

The carrier is also investing over $12 billion in a major expansion of its international airport. The airport is due to open in 2010 with a capacity of 24 million passengers a year, rising to 50 million from 2015.

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