Qatar Airways releases first images of A350 Xtra Wide Body aircraft

The airline has ordered 80 of the widebody A350 XWB which will be deployed on a wide variety of routes served by the Qatar Airways network.

The A350 MSN005 development aircraft recently concluded a world tour, touching down in 14 cities, demonstrating its readiness for airline operations on a global scale.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker said that the airline is currently in the midst of a massive fleet expansion programme and the incoming delivery of the Airbus A350 XWB type into the fleet will be a significant milestone for the airline.

“We take pride in introducing the latest products and services available to the industry and this new aircraft is a prime example of that. We look forward to offering to our passengers even more choice and variety in the young and modern fleet which we operate to more than 140 destinations across the world.”

Analyst Saj Ahmad commented: “As Airbus wraps up flight testing on the A350-900, Qatar Airways will be eager to get their hands on their first example in a matter of weeks time once all certification paperwork has been signed off.
 
“Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines designed to operate in the harsh heat of the Arabian desert to the cooler Arctic climes, Qatar Airways knows just how to induct and operate a 21st Century jet given the breadth and wealth of experience they have amassed with the 787-8 fleet, which had gone through a variety of post-in-service updates to make the airplane even more better than advertised.”
 
Ahmad added: “It stands to reason that the A350-900 will also suffer in-service issues that may not have cropped up during flight testing, but Qatar Airways will be safe in the knowledge  that Airbus, like Boeing did with the 787, pull out all the stops to help get the A350-900 maturity and dispatch reliability rate as close to 100% as it can.
 
“With a mix of 80 A350s on order, Qatar Airways, like its other GCC peers in Emirates and Etihad is eager to expand its network and products to give customers superior quality and connections in the air.”