October 29, 2026 — Qatar Airways (QR) says a new first class is still being designed and may not happen, while its first Airbus A321LR is set to enter service on January 1, 2027 with lie-flat business seats and Starlink.
What happened
Group CEO Hamad Ali Al-Khater outlined the plans at a briefing in Sydney on October 24. The comments were reported this week by One Mile at a Time (October 28) and Aviation A2Z (October 29), which cited Travel Weekly. Al-Khater said Qatar would launch a new first class only “if we believe we have a first class that’s worthwhile.”
That is a step back from March 2024, when then-CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer said the new product was 70% to 80% ready. Qatar currently sells long-haul first class only on its A380s and on a few Boeing 777s acquired from Cathay Pacific.
Cabins
- First class: under design; no layout, aircraft or date. One Mile at a Time expects it would appear only on later Boeing 777-9 deliveries, not the first ones.
- Premium economy: under “serious consideration,” with no design, aircraft or launch date.
- Business class: Qatar is studying more business seats on some aircraft.
- Qsuite: about 45% of the widebody fleet has it. Qsuite Next Gen is expected to debut on the A350-1000 in northern summer 2027, ahead of the 777-9.
- Simpler fleet: Qatar plans to cut its cabin configurations from about 25 to nine by the middle of the next decade.
Fleet
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| New aircraft | About 138 over five years; more than 15 deliveries in 2027 |
| A321LR | First service targeted for January 1, 2027; 16 business seats in a 1-1 layout; Starlink from day one |
| A321neo family | About 60 expected, including 10 A321LRs |
| Boeing 777-9 | 60 on order; deliveries start late 2027 at best |
| Retirements | About 17 Airbus A330s |
| Lounges | Four new lounges worldwide in 2027 |
Australia
- Qatar and Virgin Australia together are aiming for about 70 weekly Australia–Doha flights by the end of 2026. Qatar alone flies about 28 a week and wants at least 35.
- Melbourne is moving toward double daily, Canberra flights (via Melbourne) return in December 2026, and Sydney gets a third daily service.
- Western Sydney International service is reported to begin December 15, 2027, three times weekly.
- Al-Khater mentioned possible closer ties with Qantas through oneworld, but nothing has been agreed.
What it means for non-revs
- More seats to Australia. Extra Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra flying, plus the Virgin Australia partnership, means more daily chances between Doha and Australia.
- A330s are on their way out. About 17 will be retired. If you are planning around a specific aircraft type, check the equipment close to departure.
- Don’t plan on a new first class. For now, first class remains on A380s and a few ex-Cathay 777s only.
- A321LR from January 1. The new narrowbody has just 16 business seats, so premium seats on those flights will be limited.
Sources
- One Mile at a Time — Qatar Airways’ New “Private Jet” First Class Has Gone From Definite To Maybe
- Aviation A2Z — Qatar Airways Plans New First Class and More
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