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Boeing Wins Blockbuster Qatar Air Order, Dealing Blow to Airbus

  • Deal includes up to 50 777X cargo jets and 50 737 Max planes
  • Qatar Air has sparred with Airbus over A350 aircraft issues
Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of commercial airplanes with the Boeing Co., left, and Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways QCSC, right, hold up documents during a signing ceremony in Washington, on Jan. 31.

Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of commercial airplanes with the Boeing Co., left, and Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways QCSC, right, hold up documents during a signing ceremony in Washington, on Jan. 31.

Photographer: Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg

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Boeing Co. formally launched a freighter version of its 777X jetliner as Qatar Airways struck one of the largest cargo deals on record, giving the U.S. planemaker an edge over longtime rival Airbus SE.

The Doha-based carrier placed a firm order for 34 of the 777-8 freighters plus options for an additional 16 jets, the companies said Monday. That total includes 20 jets converted from a previous order for a passenger version of the 777X. The outlines of the deal were first reported by Bloomberg last week.