Qatar Airways just ordered 25 ‘rebooted’ Boeing 737 Max airliners

Qatar Airways ordered 25 of Boeing's 737 Max 10 airliners on Thursday, July 21,  reveals.

The aircraft was remodeled after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, but Boeing is still awaiting regulatory approval for the new Max 10 aircraft to fly.

Despite the potential regulatory hurdles, Reuters reports, Boeing has received over 1,000 orders for the "rebooted" Boeing 737 Max. 

Qatar Airway makes new Boeing 737 Max 10 order

Qatar Airways made the order at this week's Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom after a memorandum of understanding with Boeing for 737 Max jets, signed in January, expired.

"We are honored that Qatar Airways has decided to add Boeing's single-aisle family to its fleet, deepening our relationship with this world-class airline," said Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president, and CEO. "The 737-10 is ideally suited for Qatar Airways' regional network and will provide the carrier with the most capable, most fuel-efficient airplane in its class."

The 737 Max 10 seats up to 230 passengers and has a range of 3,300 nautical miles. It is the largest aircraft in the 737 Max family. According to Boeing, it offers the "best per-seat economics of any single-aisle airplane in the industry" and it "can cover 99% of the world's single-aisle routes."

The 737 Max faced an almost two-year worldwide grounding after the second fatal crash of the aircraft in 2019. Now, rebounding demand after the pandemic is seeing airlines trying to catch up amid staff shortages and mass cancelations.

Qatar Airways order is worth $3.4 billion

Qatar Airways' 737 Max 10 order is worth $3.4 billion, and it was reportedly the big event at the Farnborough Airshow, which was somewhat low-key amid the context of inflation and recession affecting the aviation industry.

Boeing faces a number of hurdles on the path toward flight approval for the 737 Max 10. If it doesn't get the aircraft certified before December, it will need to comply with a requirement for an electronic warning system that is different from other variants. Alternatively, it can seek a waiver from Congress.

Airbus had a less eventful show, though it is sold out for the next 5-6 years, meaning it was under less pressure to make sales. Speaking after winning an earlier order for 100 MAX 10 from Delta Air Lines, Boeing's Stan Deal said the MAX has been "rebooted".

Boeing's 737 Max started flying again through much of the world last year, but Boeing's handling of the aircraft will likely remain a stain on the company for years to come. Last year, the aviation giant was fined $2.5 billion for lying to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) about safety issues before the two fatal crashes that grounded the plane globally.