With 60 new aircraft on the books and the evolutionary Qsuite Next Gen debut, Qatar Airways is firmly looking towards the future. At the Farnborough International Air Show 2024, the carrier revealed its ‘Qsuites 2.0’ upcoming Business Class and announced an order for 20 more Boeing 777-9s.
Inside the Qsuite Next Gen
Qsuite is already commonly regarded as the world’s best Business Class, but can it get any better? It turns out there’s still room for some incremental evolutions. The most significant physical change is a redesigned inflight entertainment screen that can fold to the sides, creating a more expansive shared space for the centre Quad Suite.
But it doesn’t stop there. The screens will also fold on the window pairs of seats. Named the Companion Suite, it’s a cosy cubicle with panoramic views for two passengers.
Inflight content will appear crisp with perfect blacks thanks to the debut of 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova screens. These screens will also feature Bluetooth connectivity for your own wireless headphones.
Other improvements include larger lie-flat beds, digitally lockable ‘safe’ drawers, digitally controlled privacy dividers, and customisable ambient lighting. Overall, it’s a major tech upgrade, but the sleeker styling doesn’t hurt either.
Bolstering the Boeing 777X order
Qatar Airways already has 40 Boeing 777-9s on the books. But as part of the expanded order, a further 20 will be added. In addition to featuring Qatar Airways’ latest and greatest Business Class and Economy seats, a new First Class is also looking at a comeback on selected planes.
Speaking to CNBC in March 2024, the airline’s CEO, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, confirmed that the airline was developing a fresh First Class concept for its cabins.
Boeing’s upcoming 777X range has suffered numerous delays for over five years, but Qatar Airways aims to take delivery and launch Qsuites Next Gen in 2025.
All images courtesy of Qatar Airways.
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I was pleasantly surprised by the new seat, given that – to me – the Qsuite v1 is a decent enough seat. Love the innovation although not entirely sure about the secure tray. Being able to dine with my partner in the window seats is a real game-changer, I have a feeling that’s going to be the most loved changed.
Only issue is it’s going to add another seat to the Qatar fleet, which is stuffed full of different variations and it can feel like a game of chance. I’ve ended up in some seats that are archaic.