Qatar Airways today celebrated the delivery of the world’s first Airbus A350-1000 as the aircraft’s global launch customer before an audience of international media at the Airbus Delivery Centre in Toulouse, France.
It is the first Airbus aircraft to be fitted with Qatar Airways’ revolutionary Qsuite Business Class seat.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways always demands the very best for its customers, so it is right that we are the first airline in the world to take delivery of the very first Airbus A350-1000.
This remarkable state-of-the-art aircraft will be the first of 42 to be flown on our expanding global route network. It will become a firm part of the Qatar Airways fleet, making us the biggest operator in the world of this aircraft type and maintain our status as flying one of the youngest fleets in the sky, with an average age of just five years.
At 23 feet longer than the A350-900, it will substantially increase capacity on the routes on which they operate it, offering 46 Business Class seats in Qsuite, and 281 extra-wide 18-inch seats in Economy Class.
The A350-1000 is the latest member of the Airbus wide-body aircraft portfolio. As the global launch customer, Qatar Airways will be the first airline to fly the A350-1000, which will go into service on the Doha-London route this month.
Compared to the A350-900, the A350-1000 features 44 extra seats, with a two-class cabin of 46 Qsuite Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, featuring 80-inch fully flat beds and 22-inch HD in-flight entertainment screens.
The middle suites are able to convert to six double beds, and six quad suites. Economy Class will contain 281 seats, each 18-inches wide in a 3-3-3 configuration, with up to a 32-inch pitch.