Qatar Airways ends A330 passenger operations as fuel costs soar

Qatar Airways has retired its remaining Airbus A330 passenger jets and seconded some of its pilots to Rwanda’s national carrier as the prolonged Iran war disrupts Gulf aviation and speeds up the phase-out of older aircraft, Reuters reported.

The move comes as jet fuel prices have doubled since the war began, putting further pressure on airlines and ending the industry-wide rush for older aircraft that had helped meet strong post-COVID travel demand.

Qatar Airways leased four Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft from Oman Air last year and had planned to operate them through 2026. However, the aircraft never entered commercial service, according to people familiar with the matter.

The airline has now completely retired its A330 passenger fleet. One of the aircraft was acquired earlier this year by RwandAir, Rwanda’s flag carrier.

Qatar Airways has longstanding ties with RwandAir, and a group of its pilots has been seconded to the African airline. Some of the pilots had not flown commercially since the start of the war, according to people familiar with the arrangement.

The latest development highlights the growing impact of higher fuel costs and regional disruption on Gulf airlines, while also marking another step in the global retirement of older passenger jets.