31 January 2018 12:34 pm
AIRWISE: Qatar Airways will take delivery of the first production Airbus A350-1000 next month, after a delivery delay over the installation of the airline’s business class seats was resolved.
The Doha-based airline is launch customer of the 366 seat A350-1000 and also its smaller sister, the 325 seat-900.
Qatar Air’s chief executive Akbar Al Baker said the first delivery is highly-anticipated with the airline working on a prompt entry into service.
“We very much look forward to welcoming the A350-1000 into our growing fleet of more than 200 aircraft,” he said.
Baker was speaking at Doha Airport where an A350-1000 from the Airbus test fleet had just landed on the first leg of a Middle East and Asian tour prior to the aircraft’s entry into service. The -1000 received its Type Certification in November from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Qatar has 37 A350-1000s on order, plus 39 -900s, with 21 of those already delivered by Airbus.
The Asia leg of the A350-1000 tour will include a Singapore visit, where it will be on static display at the Singapore Airshow next month.