Airline CEO Akbar Al Baker
Qatar Airways shows interest in a cargo version of the Airbus A350
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker just ordered more Boeing 777X freighters. But he is also showing interest in a possible cargo version of the Airbus A350.
A Qatar Airways passenger A350
A Qatar Airways passenger A350
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker could imagine ordering a cargo verion of the Airbus A350, should it become available. In response to a question by aeroTELEGRAPH at a meeting with international journalists Al Baker briefly answered: «Yes.» Then, he added: «Different planes have different capacities. And we would have use for capacity equivalent of an A350.» Shortly before that statement Al Baker had ordered five additional Boeing 777X freighters.
Al Baker is not the only Airline CEO interested in a possible A350 freighter. Cargolux CEO Richard Forson told aeroTELEGRAPH that he was interested not only in a possible freight variant of the Boeing 777X, but also in the Airbus A350. «I think the A350 is a very good model for a freighter version,» said Forson, who heads Cargolux, one of the world’s largest cargo airlines.
Airbus «examining all options»
At the Le Bourget air show in Paris, an Airbus spokesman stated that the manufacturer were pleased with Cargolux’s interest. When asked whether there were any plans to build an A350 freighter, he simply said that all options were being examined.