DUBAI — Qatar Airways is looking to order another 10 to 15 Airbus A330s before the Paris air show in June and might also confirm options on Boeing's 787, the Gulf carrier's chief said Monday. “We are talking to Airbus for extra A330s,” Akbar Al-Baker told reporters in Dubai, saying he hoped to reach agreement before the air show which opens June 17. But he said the European manufacturer will have to “sharpen their pencils,” adding that those planes would fill the gap caused by the delay in Boeing's 787 Dreamliners. Baker also said that his fast growing carrier “will not cancel the Dreamliners” adding that Qatar Airways might order additional units. “On the contrary, we may order additional Dreamliners because we have purchase rights for another 30,” he said. Qatar Airways resumed operations on one of its five Dreamliners om May 1, he said, following the grounding of all 787s by the US manufacturer due to electrical problems. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators grounded Dreamliners worldwide in mid-January after failures of the lithium-ion batteries caused a fire on a parked plane in Boston and forced the emergency landing of an ANA-operated aircraft in Japan. Following months of investigation, the FAA last month issued formal approval of Boeing's 787 battery fix, clearing the way for the troubled aircraft to fly again after the prolonged grounding. Qatar Airways said it plans to add Philadelphia to its routes next year as part of alliances with American Airlines and other US-based carriers. Qatar Airways is locked in fierce competition with rival Gulf carriers Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi and Dubai-based Emirates. — Agencies
