Qatar Airways May Build a First Class Only a Few Planes Would Get

Qatar Airways has not given up on first class, but it has not committed to it either. Speaking at a media briefing in Sydney, as reported by Executive Traveller on October 28, chief executive Hamad Ali Al-Khater said a new first class for the Boeing 777-9 is under serious design. He stressed that approval is uncertain and that the bar is very high, saying the airline would proceed only if the product were worthwhile to talk about.

The project is inherited. According to Executive Traveller, Al-Khater took it over from predecessor Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, who had said Qatar had to introduce a first class cabin, especially now that the A380 is being retired. In a March 2024 interview with CNBC, Al-Meer described the suite design as 70 to 80 percent complete. The new chief executive appears more cautious, comparing the idea against the airline’s acclaimed Qsuite business class.

If it goes ahead, the cabin would be rare. Only a small number of the 94 planned 777-9s would carry private first-class suites, and they would be deployed on high-demand premium routes to Europe, the US and Asia. Executive Traveller also reports that Qatar’s private-jet arm, Qatar Executive, could help create something new. Most of the 777-9 fleet would instead feature Qsuite Next Gen business class, set to debut in mid-2027 on the A350-1000.

For flyers, the takeaway is that the era of first class on Qatar’s biggest jets is unresolved. Upgraded Points noted the same remark in its weekly airline roundup, underscoring how closely loyalty-focused travelers are watching. Anyone planning premium trips around a new cabin should not count on it yet: no delivery timing for the aircraft appears in the report, and the airline has made no commitment beyond continuing design work.

Sources: Executive Traveller, Upgraded Points