❗️Qatar Airways retires A330 fleet, seconds pilots to RwandAir

Qatar Airways has retired its remaining Airbus A330 passenger aircraft and seconded some of its pilots to Rwanda’s national carrier as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to disrupt Gulf aviation and speeds up the global retirement of older aircraft, according to two people familiar with the matter to Reuters.

Qatar Airways leased four wide-body Airbus A330s from Oman Air last year and had planned to operate them through 2026, but the aircraft never entered service, according to the sources. The airline has now completely phased out its A330 passenger fleet.

RwandAir, Rwanda’s national carrier, acquired one of the A330s earlier this year. Qatar Airways has longstanding ties with the airline, and the sources said a number of Qatar Airways pilots, including some who had not operated commercial flights since the war began, have been seconded to RwandAir.

A Qatar Airways spokesperson said it was standard practice for the airline to regularly assess its fleet, "retiring older aircraft and introducing newer, more efficient aircraft as they are delivered". The spokesperson added that the carrier expects to take delivery of 138 new aircraft over the next five years.

"A group of Qatar Airways A330 pilots are being offered a voluntary short-term secondment opportunity with RwandAir," the spokesperson said, adding that the arrangement would provide pilots with valuable flying opportunities while helping meet the operational needs of both airlines.