Qatar Airways adds 20th 777F

Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its twentieth 777F (66338) from Boeing [FAT 005234]. The airline is expected to take another before the year is over. With a freighter fleet of twenty-seven own-operated widebody aircraft, Qatar Airways presently operates the most freighters of any combination carrier in the world.

Beyond that, Qatar Airways has five more of the type due to arrive in 2020. The carrier inked a commitment with Boeing for the five units at the Paris Air Show and finalized that order a month later, as part of a visit to the White House.

Including the next frame, Qatar Airways will have taken delivery of a total of six 777Fs in 2019, the most freighters it has ever added in a single year. It received unit 62773 in March, 66335 in July [FAT 005075] and 66336 and 66337 in a double delivery on Sept. 30 [FATs 005153-5154].

Qatar’s freighter fleet now stands at two 747-8Fs, twenty 777Fs and five A330-200Fs. The Doha-based carrier has returned three leased A330-200Fs to BOC Aviation (which has leased them to Sichuan Airlines) this year and Cargo Facts believes that the remaining A330-200Fs, which are owned, are likely to be withdrawn as more 777Fs continue to be delivered.

In the meantime, the airline continues to keep the five A330Fs busy, flying them to around 30 regional destinations, the vast majority of which are in Africa, India and Europe.

Qatar Airways is the second-largest operator of the 777F behind FedEx, which has added seven so far this year and currently has 43 units. German carrier AeroLogic is the third-largest, having grown its fleet from ten to fourteen 777Fs this year.