Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) has introduced the B737 MAX into revenue operations, with the first service on the Doha - Kuwait sector operating on May 9, before settling into twice daily roundtrips on the route. The airline is also deploying the B737-8 onto the Doha - Abu Dhabi International and Doha - Dammam sectors.
B737-8 A7-BSC (msn 43329) is the first of five aircraft of the type, along with twenty-five B737-10s, that Qatar Airways will bring into service over the next few years. It ferried into Doha from Everett via Reykjavik Keflavik on April 14, and has since undertaken a large number of proving flights. A second B737-8 going to the carrier is A7-BSE (msn 43342) and is currently stored at Reykjavik Keflavik.
Qatar Airways secured A7-BSC after sanctions prevented the aircraft from going to its original customer, S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk). Qatar Airways is taking all nine MAX aircraft due to go to the Russian carrier. While this is the first time Qatar Airways will operate the B737 MAX, it has some previous experience with the type, having briefly leased three B737-8s late last decade and sending them to their then 49%-owned subsidiary Air Italy (Milan Malpensa).
According to ch-aviation fleets data, Qatar Airways operates 249 aircraft, of which 33 are narrowbody aircraft. In addition to its two registered B737-8s, the airline flies one A310-300(F), one A321-200, and twenty nine A320-200s.
