President of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa Kuljit Ghata-Aura
Doha: President of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) Kuljit Ghata-Aura affirmed the strength of the partnership between the American company and the State of Qatar, adding that Qatar Airways was one of Boeing’s most highly valued partners.
Speaking exclusively to Qatar News Agency on the sidelines of his participation in Qatar Economic Forum Powered by Bloomberg, Ghata-Aura said that the company’s partnership with Qatar spans over nearly two decades, with 264 employees working in Qatar and reflecting Boeing’s commitment to supporting Qatar National Vision 2030.
He described the recent announcements with Qatar Airways for the new 777X freighter and 737-10 aircraft as two significant deals, adding that the company was proud to support Qatar Airways in its 25th anniversary year. He noted that Boeing’s partnership with Qatar Airways was established in May 2006, and that Qatar Airways now operates an extensive fleet of Boeing passenger and cargo airplanes. He said that, despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, the Group has demonstrated exceptional resilience during the crisis, and stressed that Boeing will support Qatar Airways as it reopens destinations and adds new routes to its network.
He added that Qatar Airways latest orders for 777-8 freighters and 737-10 passenger aircraft are significant for Boeing, and will the carrier with one of the most advanced and most efficient passenger and cargo fleets in the region. He also said that these new aircraft will position the Qatar Airways for significant and sustainable growth in the future, expressing Boeing’s confidence in the potential of commercial aviation in the region.
The Boeing executive noted that the company has been a research partner of the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, since 2013. He added that the company have co-hosted six machine learning and data analytics symposiums to date. He also said that the Qatar University College of Engineering (QU-CENG), has been one of Boeing’s other important academic partners. He highlighted that, through Boeing’s support, students of the college have access to new programmes and tools to assist in the development of the Qatari aerospace sector and to encourage young Qataris to develop careers in aviation.
He added that Boeing has been collaborating with research, education and government institutions in Qatar on a range of initiatives that promote STEM education, as well as entrepreneurship, with over 5,000 students benefiting from the community engagement programmes organized with the support of INJAZ Al-Arab.
Moreover, Ghata-Aura said that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is set to be one of the sporting highlights of 2022, and Boeing is very pleased to see so many of our airline customers increasing frequencies and scheduling special shuttle services to cater to the demand for reliable and convenient transport to the event.
He said that Boeing is ready to support these airline partners to ensure that teams and supporters are able to get to Qatar to enjoy the tournament.
