Qatar Airways closes in on major Boeing, Airbus widebody order, Bloomberg News reports

(Reuters) – Qatar Airways PJSC is nearing a decision on a major widebody order split between Boeing (NYSE:) and Airbus, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Middle East carrier is looking at ordering about 200 jets, looking at a mix of Airbus A350s and Boeing 777X models, with a decision possible as soon as the Farnborough Air Show in Britain late next month, the report said.

Airbus said it is constantly in talks with customers about fleet needs but did not did disclose any details, while Boeing deferred to Qatar Airways when asked for a comment.

Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Bloomberg had reported in March that Qatar Airways was in early talks with Boeing and Airbus to order 100 to 150 widebody jets to expand and renew its fleet.

Major airlines are in a race to procure new fuel-efficient widebody jets to keep operating costs down and cater to booming international travel demand.