BA Boeing Co

By Robert Wall

BERLIN--Qatar Airways' Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said European plane maker Airbus Group SE (AIR.FR) continues to lag on plane deliveries, delaying the Middle East carrier's growth plans.

Mr. Al Baker, one of the biggest buyers of planes from Airbus and rival Boeing Co. (BA), said the handover of 10 of the European company's planes are behind schedule. Qatar Airways has had to delay the launch of around eight destinations as a consequence, he told reporters at an annual travel event here.

"I hope that this will be resolved during this year," he said. Airbus has struggled for more than a year to get its new A350long-range plane and A320neo single-aisle aircraft to customers. Supplier issues on airline seats and toilets have slowed handover of the A350. Qatar Airways is the launch operator of the plane. Engine problems have mired deliveries of A320neo planes.

"We are working with our customers to deliver all the planes to full customer satisfaction," an Airbus spokesman said.

Mr. Al Baker said he was pushing the plane makers to get planes on time. Unlike rivals Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways, which deferred some plane deliveries amid a slump in oil prices that has weighed on business class bookings, Mr. Al Baker said he had no plans to push out deliveries or curb capacity growth.

He also expressed confidence in continued access to the U.S. market for Mideast carriers despite efforts by rivals there to have the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump slow their growth. Some U.S. carriers accuse their Middle East rivals of competing unfairly in violation of an air traffic accord with the U.S., a charge the Persian Gulf airlines deny.

Mr. Al Baker said Mr. Trump was a business man who wouldn't deprive American passengers of service local carriers don't offer.

Travel consultant ForwardKeys this week said demand for flights to the U.S. from the Middle East had suffered after the Trump Administration put in place a travel band on several Muslim-majority countries. The travel ban was renewed this week after an initial version was set aside by judges in the U.S. The White House has defended efforts to curtail travel, arguing that restrictions are needed to prevent terrorist attacks in the U.S.

Qatar Airways has not seen a retreat in U.S. bookings, Mr. Al Baker said. The carrier plans to add Las Vegas flights in January on Boeing 777 planes, he said.

Mr. Al Baker also said he planned to set up an Indian airline with around 100 planes. He previously had signaled interest in buying a stake in Indian budget airline InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. or IndiGo, but the opportunity passed because of local rules on foreign airline ownership. Mr. Al Baker said those rules have now changed opening the door for Qatar Airways to set up its own offshoot.

-Write to Robert Wall at robert.wall@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 08, 2017 08:00 ET (13:00 GMT)

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