Carrier Starting Service To US this Month

An unidentified customer placed an order for 30 Being 787 Dreamliners this past April, worth an estimated $5 billion at list prices. Those familiar with the deal identified the customer as Qatar Airways.

But, Qatar refuses to confirm or deny it. 

"I think you have to wait," Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar al-Baker said in New York Wednesday when asked about the order.

He was in New York to launch the carrier's service to the United States, between Qatar's capital Doha and Newark International Airport, according to Reuters.

The carrier did confirm an order for 80 Airbus' A350 XWBs placed at the Paris Air Show last week, worth about $16 billion at list prices, making the carrier the first to receive the new and improved A350 in 2013; it has 22 Boeing 777s on order as well.

Its current fleet consists of 58 Airbus aircraft.

The carrier has applied for a code-sharing agreement with UAL Corp.'s United Airlines for U.S. routes and will also start flights to Washington DC in July.

FMI: www.qatarairways.com