Qatar Airways in Bombardier Order

At the opening of Farnborough Air Show today (July 19), Qatar Airways announced an order for two Bombardier Global 5000s.

It is part of the carrier's plans to further develop its corporate jet subsidiary, Qatar Executive.

The airline says the deal is worth US$90 million, with delivery scheduled for October 2010 and August 2011.

Qatar Airways Group CEO, Akbar Al Baker hinted at possible further acquisitions as the airline continues to take advantage of the Middle East region's growing corporate jet market.

"We launched Qatar Executive last year because we had identified a huge gap in the market and are now well on the way to filling that void."

The corporate jet market in the Middle East has grown at an average of 13 per cent a year since 2000, according to the airline.