DOHA: Qatar Airways is to swap its order for up to 80 Airbus A320neos for the larger, longer-range A321 version, the airline’s CEO said on Thursday.
The Doha-based carrier has refused to take delivery of A320neos since December 2015 over performance issues with the aircraft’s engines.
“We are going to take all A321s, there will be no more A320s,” said CEO Akbar Al-Baker.
An Airbus spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
The airline is also deciding whether to switch the engine order for the narrow-body jets from Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, to CFM, a joint venture between General Electric Co. and Safran SA of France.
“We are still negotiating,” Al-Baker said.
Qatar Airways has refused to accept A320neos powered by Pratt & Whitney engines because they require additional time to start under certain conditions.
The airline said in May it was cutting frequencies on more than a dozen routes from its Doha hub because of delays in acquiring new aircraft from Airbus.
Airbus successfully completed its first test flight for the A321neo in February 2016. However, in December it delayed delivery of its first A321neo to Hawaiian Holdings Inc. by three months.
Airbus’s delivery schedule saw delays through 2016, in part because of problems with engine and cabin parts suppliers.
Al-Baker has said he wants the A321neos from 2018.
Qatar Airways is also moving closer to taking a 49 percent stake in Italy’s Meridiana, which it originally planned to finalize in October 2016.
“By the end of the month we should have put all the loose ends together,” Al-Baker said.
Qatar Airways confirms change to Airbus plane order
Qatar Airways confirms change to Airbus plane order
Closing Bell: Saudi main index slips to close at 11,228
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Sunday, lost 23.17 points, or 0.21 percent, to close at 11,228.64.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR2.99 billion ($797 million), as 170 of the stocks advanced and 82 retreated.
On the other hand, the Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu gained 449.38 points, or 1.90 percent, to close at 24,093.12. This comes as 43 of the stocks advanced while 27 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index lost 6.07 points, or 0.40 percent, to close at 1,511.36.
The best-performing stock of the day was Obeikan Glass Co., whose share price surged 7.54 percent to SR27.66.
Other top performers included Alamar Foods Co., whose share price rose 6.80 percent to SR47.10, as well as Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co., whose share price climbed 6.79 percent to SR5.66.
Saudi Investment Bank recorded the steepest drop, falling 3.21 percent to SR13.56.
Jahez International Co. for Information System Technology also saw its share price fall 3.15 percent to SR13.55.
Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. declined 2.78 percent to SR7.34.
On the announcements front, Tanmiah Food Co. reported its annual financial results for the period ending Dec. 31. According to a Tadawul statement, the company recorded a net loss of SR18.8 million, compared with a net profit of SR95.8 million a year earlier.
The net loss was mainly due to ongoing market challenges that resulted in continued pricing pressures in fresh poultry, inflationary cost pressures, higher financing expenses, and depreciation and ramp-up costs from new facilities, partially offset by increased production volumes and cost-optimization initiatives.
Tanmiah Food Co. ended the session at SR58.20, up 3.72 percent.
United International Holding Co., also known as Tas’heel, announced its annual financial results for the period ending Dec. 31. A bourse filing showed the company recorded a net profit of SR273.64 million in 2025, up 23.05 percent from 2024, primarily driven by a 23.4 percent rise in revenues. The revenue growth helped lift gross profit by 23.7 percent.
Tas’heel ended the session at SR146.80, down 0.28 percent.
