Qatar Airways had taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8. Before departing from the US and traveling to Doha, Qatar, the aircraft made a stop in Iceland. The A7-BSC-registered aircraft departed Everett Paine Field (PAE) in Washington, United States, on April 14, 2023, at 9:36 a.m. local time (UTC -7). At 12:47 a.m. local time (UTC +0), it touched down at Iceland's Keflavik International Airport (KEF).
KEF is about 3,641 nautical miles (6,742 km) away from Doha's Hamad International Airport (DOH), according to data from Great Circle Mapper. According to Boeing's product page, the 737 MAX-8, which Qatar Airways is receiving, has a maximum range of 3,550 nautical miles (6,570 km). Neither flightradar24.com nor KEF's departure board is displaying the 737 MAX's forthcoming schedule at the time of writing.
A7-BSC was formerly intended for S7 Airlines, an airline based in Siberia, Russia, to get the Boeing 737 MAX-8. However, the sanctions imposed on Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine and the fact that Russian authorities have not yet permitted the 737 MAX to fly again prevented the airline from accepting the airliner.
Data from planespotters.net indicate that Qatar Airways is now anticipated to buy at least eight additional 737 MAX aircraft. None of the eight were taken by S7 Airlines (NTU). "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 short-haul markets," a Qatar Airways spokeswoman said.