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Qatar Airways was the launch customer for the Airbus A350, starting commercial services in 2014.
Qatar Airways Chief Technical Officer Ali Al Saadi discusses with Kurt Hofmann how the airline is tackling MRO challenges and preparing for fleet growth.
What is the size of Qatar Airways Technic’s MRO infrastructure? Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art MRO facility at Doha Hamad International Airport occupies around 95,000 m2 [approximately 1 million ft.2]. It can handle maintenance for around eight widebody aircraft simultaneously. The Qatar Airways Technic team consists of approximately 3,700 employees, with 2,000 dedicated to MRO operations, including maintenance and production. The airline’s fleet of about 270 aircraft operates nearly 600 flights daily, offering approximately 70,000 seats.
With the vision of our airline, I’m sure we are going to need to expand the facility one day, but we need to make sure it is beneficial. Hangar space also depends on the growth of the airline. For the time being, we have capacity to utilize the facility to the maximum.
How much difficulty do you have finding enough qualified employees? Nowadays, I believe there is a lack of [talent] in this industry—for example, qualified mechanics, engineers and licensed engineers who can release an aircraft from a check. On top of the lack of manpower and resources, you have airline expansions, especially across our region with new carriers. There is a lot of competition in the region, and then you have global competition as well. Combined with the issue of supply chain, we are facing challenges to cope with what we need to maintain expertise, knowledge, skills and qualified people. It is about attracting qualified and experienced people.
Supply chain issues are a big challenge for the industry. How do you handle this? When high season is coming, we start working ahead to stock up on our material for the summer. However, maintaining the supply chain is a global issue today. We can only be proactive, not reactive . . . thinking further ahead [about] what we need. This also will be very linked to our reliability system. It is important to have a proper maintenance program to ensure we are ahead of the game to meet aircraft availability and on-time performance, which is a big aspect of the Qatar Airways success and brand.
We are working on different initiatives regarding our in-house capabilities, from repairs to overhauls of parts. This is not about independence; we need to be more self-sufficient, because part of our efficiency is depending on our suppliers. Our warehouse stock has a value of about $2.2 billion.
Aircraft delivery delays are causing airlines to fly older aircraft longer than originally planned. Does this intensify your MRO work? Yes, exactly. Because as aircraft age, they need more maintenance. To maintain an older cabin, for example, there is more demand on us to prepare the aircraft to meet customer expectations and Qatar Airways’ standard. Fewer aircraft types and standardized cabin configurations create less complexity. When an older aircraft type [retires], this will give you a lot of relief on the spare parts side and maintenance turnaround times.
How does the delay of the Boeing 777-9 affect your MRO facility and planning? Regarding preparation for a new aircraft type, we have our teams engaged in the production and delivery centers from the aircraft manufacturers. The teams are monitoring each aircraft to ensure it gets the best quality from them.
We start with engineering and supplier-side maintenance requirements on what kind of tooling is required and what will be the inventory and surplus. We continue with what the aftermarket support will be, provided in this example by Boeing, and which kinds of seats and galleys will be used. Then we are working closely with our flight operations staff regarding avionics, satcom, etc., and working with the network team, too. On top of this, [we are] training to make sure that when the aircraft arrives we have the right qualified people.
Regarding the delay of the 777-9, we are working very closely with Boeing. We have trust and we are confident they can surpass the current challenges they have. The first delivery is expected in 2026. We start training our people as soon as the delivery date is secured. Training many people requires a strategic approach. And then we start to plan how we can induct a new type into our fleet. Because [with] induction of a new type into the fleet, you have to be fully aware and [have] all setup in place.
Qatar Airways Technic is doing base maintenance for the entire fleet. Do you have the capability for third-party work for other airlines? Qatar Airways’ MRO facility handles a broad range of maintenance activities, including heavy and light, special checks, engine replacements, gear changes and major modifications (systems, structural, cabin and connectivity, such as recent Starlink installations), and it is backed up with state-of-the-art workshops.
But I believe we can do more, given the facility, infrastructure, knowledge and experience we have, and the airline’s growth potential. I believe performing third-party work might be a goal for the future, with more efficiency and capacity. From time to time, depending on the season, we also send our aircraft to other MRO providers.
Which cabin modifications is Qatar Airways doing? We are running through a lot of cabin and connectivity modifications currently, such as with Starlink, as the first major airline [to offer the product].
Related to aircraft delivery delays, the teams are looking to modify and upgrade some aircraft to keep them in service longer. To maintain the standard and the brand, you need to start a lot of changes, refresh programs and modifications, but [we are] still in discussions about which aircraft types will be involved.
The environment here in Doha is harsh due to heat, desert sand and humidity. How does that affect the life of an engine? Engines need a proper maintenance program. On top of that, we do a program where engine washes happen more frequently, which provides two benefits. First of all, engine washes maintain engine life, and second—which is more important—they improve fuel burn, giving you more efficient engines. Because they are cleaner, thrust will be better. But this adds more demand to maintenance.
[Being] the best MRO in the world is about a proper setup where you can be proactive, and how you utilize the prognostics . . . and systems that provide alerts to make sure there is proper ground time for the aircraft and you are doing the troubleshooting ahead of time. You don’t wait until something fails. We have about two or three spare aircraft, depending on the season.
How many spare engines does Qatar Airways have? We have 79 spare engines, including [auxiliary power units].
Qatar Airways was the launch customer for the Airbus A350, starting commercial services in December 2014. Do you consider your MRO department to be an expert on supporting the A350? The reliability of the A350s is getting better. Our people are becoming more aware of how to troubleshoot and rectify defects . . . with these aircraft. At the beginning, we had to build up the knowledge and the experience to start knowing what was happening with this aircraft. On top of that, there were a lot of modification campaigns, including software, components, reliability, hardware and software.
It is a very good aircraft in terms of reliability. However, there is still [room for] improvement. Currently, we are very embattled on supply chain issues, given that we have the highest utilization of the A350 today.
Is there an aircraft type that creates a lot of maintenance headaches? Let me put it this way: Newer-generation aircraft talk more.
Qatar Airways has invested in South Africa’s Airlink and RwandAir. Will you export your MRO knowledge? Absolutely. We always work very closely with our partners. We need to work with them to develop expertise so both parties benefit. This will provide an advantage, to train their people here or transit the people between Doha and there.
Fact File: About Qatar Airways
Headquarters: Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar
History: Qatar Airways was established by the Qatari government in 1993 before commencing operations the following year, with its first flight from Doha to Amman, Jordan. After adding its first Airbus and Boeing aircraft in the mid-1990s, the airline relaunched in 1997 with the ambition of becoming a competitive international carrier. Today, it flies to more than 170 international destinations. Qatar Airways has been fully owned by the Qatari government since 2013, when the Gulf state bought a 50% stake from former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani and other shareholders. New aircraft milestones include adding its first Airbus A350 in late 2014 and first Boeing 737 MAX in 2023.
Fleet: As of December 2024, Qatar Airways operated more than 250 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Its fleet consists of both narrowbody and widebody aircraft, including Airbus A320s, A330s, A350s, and A380s, the last of which it will begin retiring next year, and Boeing 737 MAX, 777 and 787 aircraft. Deliveries of the 777-9 are expected to begin this year, while the arrival of the A321neo—of which Qatar has orders for 50 to replace older A320s—will begin in 2026.
MRO: Qatar Airways operates a 1-million-ft.2 MRO hangar at its main base in Doha that can handle base maintenance for around eight widebody aircraft simultaneously. Qatar Airways Technic holds capability for aircraft systems, components, auxiliary power units and engines, albeit not full overhauls. The division has approximately 3,700 employees, 2,000 of which are dedicated to MRO operations.
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