The first Airbus A350-1000 has left Toulouse for Doha after it was officially handed over to Qatar Airways yesterday.
The aircraft MSN88 (A7-ANA), was due to be delivered to the launch customer in 2017 but delays meant delivery was put off until yesterday. Some of the delays centred around Qatar Airways QSuite cabin.
At a ceremony to mark the official handover Airbus’ representative Fabrice Brégier, Airbus, said “It is a huge pride for us to deliver the very first A350-1000 to our launch customer Qatar Airways. Bringing major advantages in fuel and cost efficiency along with unmatched passenger comfort, the A350-1000 is the ideal aircraft to showcase Qatar Airways’ legendary customer service. With its greater capacity compared to the A350-900, the newest widebody will play a major role on the carrier’s busiest long-haul routes and will contribute to strengthen their position at the forefront of the aviation industry.”
The A350-1000 is Airbus’ latest and is the largest twin-aisle widebody airliner in operation. In Qatar Airways configuration the A350-1000 offers 44 additional seats over its smaller -900 variant. It has a range of 8,000nm making it a truly long-haul aircraft.
The A350-1000 features a modified wing trailing-edge, new six-wheel main landing gears and more powerful Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines.
“Qatar Airways always demands the very best for its customers, so it is right that we are the first airline in the world to fly the Airbus A350-1000,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, “This remarkable state-of-the-art aircraft will become a firm part of Qatar Airways fleet and will keep us ahead of the curve, allowing us to continue to offer our passengers outstanding levels of comfort and service”.
Qatar Airways has 37 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on order and already operates 20 of the smaller -900 type. The first route for the new type will be Doha to London Heathrow
