Middle East Business

Qatar Airways plans 138 new aircraft over five years and a winter network of more than 170 destinations

By Staff Writer  |  11 September 2026

The national carrier expects about four million passengers across more than 170 destinations this winter, with more than 510 flights a day on average and nearly 1,800 weekly frequencies in December. Its Group Chief Executive Officer says passenger numbers are back to 90 to 95 per cent of last year's and that 138 new aircraft will arrive over the next five years.

Qatar Airways will operate to more than 170 destinations in the 2026 to 2027 winter season, the airline said at a media open day at Hamad International Airport on 9 September 2026. It expects about four million passengers over the winter, an average of more than 510 daily flights, and nearly 1,800 weekly frequencies in December. Senior officials from the airline's flight operations, ground services and maintenance divisions briefed the visiting media on how the hub is being prepared for the peak.

Hamad Ali Al-Khater, Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, said the airline had reached approximately 90 to 95 per cent of the passenger numbers it recorded last year, with very high seat load factors, and that its destination network had grown from about 60 to 160. Passenger traffic through Hamad International Airport now exceeds 140,000 a day, and other airlines have begun resuming flights to Doha.

Mr Al-Khater said the carrier had overcome a major operational challenge from 28 February this year and that operations had continued to recover since mid-June. The company has updated its organisational structure to sharpen its focus on operations, he said.

The fleet plan

The airline will take delivery of 138 new aircraft over the next five years, according to the Group Chief Executive Officer. New A350-1000 and 777-9 aircraft arrive next year, A321 Long Range aircraft with a new cabin and a new business class product arrive towards the end of this year, and the next generation of the Qsuite cabin is due across the fleet from next summer. He said the smaller narrow-body aircraft would let the airline reach destinations further away than conventional narrow-bodies serve, including secondary airports that were previously difficult to operate to.

The strategy for the next five years will not be limited to expanding the passenger fleet and destination network, but will also place significant emphasis on air cargo operations, which performed above expectations this year. We will continue investing in its cargo capabilities, as air freight is one of the key drivers of growth amid Qatar's increasingly important role in global trade and supply chains.

Hamad Ali Al-Khater, Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways

Around 150 aircraft have been fitted with Starlink in-flight internet, which the airline describes as the largest fleet equipped with the service, and 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft are scheduled for the installation by the end of the year.

Our on-time performance rate stood at around 90% as of today. This performance reflects the efficiency of the operational teams and their ability to manage operations under difficult circumstances.

Hamad Ali Al-Khater, Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways

The hub and the hangars

Hamad International Airport operates as a single terminal of 845,000 square metres with five concourses, 62 contact gates, 138 check-in counters and the 6,000 square metre Orchard indoor garden. Fast Pass biometric technology has been deployed across more than 700 touch points, with approximately 27,000 passengers enrolled. From January to August 2026 the airline operated 96,031 passenger flights, 319,000 passengers used self-service check-in kiosks and 74,000 used self-service bag drop; there were 9.4 million departing passenger journeys in the first seven months of the year.

The visit included the airline's maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, supported by more than 20 specialised workshops in Doha covering avionics, cabin interiors and component repair. Ali AlSaadi, Chief MRO Officer, described the engine facility that keeps the fleet flying.

We have about 80 spare engines in the facility. We are doing all the maintenance activities in this facility to serve our fleet. These spare engines cost nearly $2bn and to maintain these assets we need well controlled environment. We have enough spare engines to meet the needs of the fleet and it is one of the biggest engine facilities in the world.

Ali AlSaadi, Chief MRO Officer of Qatar Airways

The two reports of the briefing give different figures for the terminal's annual passenger capacity, so no capacity figure is stated here. The airline has not published the cost of the 138 aircraft, the split between the types, or the delivery schedule by year. Those points are left open.