Qatar takes delivery of first A350
Qatar Airways has safely taken delivery of its first Airbus A350 XWB and its fourth A380 in Doha.
The ceremony finally took place on December 24, 10 days later than planned after the airline decided to postpone the event without giving a reason.
The A350 is the first of 80 on order and the A380 is the fourth of 13.
Qatar is the global launch customer for the A350 and is due to start flying the aircraft on the Doha-Frankfurt route in January.
The delivery means Qatar will be the first airline in the world to operate every family of Airbus’ modern airliner portfolio – the A320, A330/A340, A350 and A380.
Qatar said the A350 XWB features ‘the very latest in aerodynamics, design and advanced technologies and will set new standards in passenger experience, operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness’.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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