Thales, a global technology leader in the defence, aerospace, cybersecurity and digital solutions markets, and Qatar Airways, a multiple award-winning airline recently voted the ‘World’s Best Airline’ by Skytrax in 2025, have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to support Qatar Airways’ strategic fleet growth plan announced last month. This agreement sets the course for future inflight entertainment (IFE) innovations to support Qatar Airways’ digital transformation journey, giving the airline access to the most innovative technologies.
In addition, this MoA covers the opportunities for development of a dedicated IFE service and maintenance center based in Doha, Qatar. The mission of this local Thales facility is to provide rapid access to services such as repair, spare distribution, technical assistance and turnkey maintenance for the full range of Thales IFE products on Qatar’s growing new fleet. The state-of-the-art facility will be designed to ensure the highest standards of operational efficiency.
The purpose of this MoA is to support Qatar Airways’ growth and the expansion of its new fleet. It builds on a strong and long-standing relationship between the two companies. Over the years, Thales has been Qatar Airways’ trusted IFE provider for several aircraft platforms, including their Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, and Airbus A350 and A380 aircraft. This partnership was recently expanded to include Qatar Airways’ new A321 NX fleet, which will be equipped with Thales’ award-winning FlytEDGE cloud-native IFE solution.
In alignment with Qatar Vision 2030, this partnership will help drive industry-leading innovations and contribute to the growth of the local aerospace and MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) ecosystem by bringing high-skilled jobs to the country.
Qatar Airways Chief MRO Officer, Eng. Ali Al Saadi said: “We are pleased to witness the continued advancement of our collaboration with Thales. As we strive to maintain the highest standards in aviation technology and operational excellence, it is imperative that we remain at the forefront of innovation. Our partnership with Thales reinforces this ambition and supports our ongoing commitment to delivering industry-leading solutions.”
Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President, Avionics, Thales said “We are pleased to grow our partnership with Qatar Airways. This MOA highlights, once again, our mutual dedication to innovative technologies and the highest standards of operational excellence. It paves the way for a local service hub and growing expertise in Doha, bolstering the airline’s future growth ambitions.”
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.
The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.
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