Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) is set to add nine B737-8s, opportunistically picked up after their deliveries to sanctioned Russian carrier S7 Airlines became impossible, thus accelerating and expanding its narrowbody rollover to new-generation aircraft.

"Qatar Airways recently had the opportunity to add a small number of B737-8 MAX aircraft to its fleet in the coming months as it aims to add capacity to help drive future growth, especially in the short-haul markets. As a rapidly growing airline, these efficient and modern aircraft are a welcome addition to the narrowbody fleet to support our sustainable expansion plans as the world's leading airline," the carrier told Doha News.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows that at least three of the aircraft will be on lease from Air Lease Corporation.

S7 Airlines took delivery of two B737-8s before the type's global grounding. The aircraft were placed with its technical subsidiary Globus. However, as Russia has still not fully ungrounded the type (except for Belavia operations), S7 obtained permission to return these two units to the lessors, Aviation Capital Group and Air Lease Corporation, in August 2022. Both -8s returned by S7 Airlines remain in storage (at Birmingham, GB and Woensdrecht) and will not be joining Qatar Airways' fleet.

In 2022, Türkiye's AnadoluJet picked up seven B737-8s from BOC Aviation originally earmarked for S7 Airlines.

Qatar Airways Group has had a rocky history with the B737-8. It tentatively committed to leasing 60 of them in 2016 and then firmed half of this order with lessors. The first five aircraft were delivered to Qatar Airways' 49%-owned subsidiary Air Italy (although only three entered into service). After the collapse of the Italian carrier in early 2020, Qatar Airways said it would not be needing the type. It returned the aircraft already delivered to Air Italy and nixed the remaining commitment. Despite repeatedly snubbing the type in the following months, Qatar Airways surprisingly committed to ordering twenty-five B737-10s with a further twenty-five options in early 2022. The deal was confirmed in July 2022 but does not include any -8s directly from the manufacturer.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows Qatar Airways' current narrowbody fleet comprises twenty-nine A320-200s.