DOHA, Qatar: Qatar Airways, the Global Launch Customer of the A350 XWB, welcomed the second of this ground-breaking aircraft into its fleet as it commenced flights to Frankfurt on March 7, 2015. The introduction of the second A350 means the world’s five-star airline is now flying to Frankfurt double-daily exclusively with the A350 XWB.
“The airline’s historic launch of the first commercial A350 XWB flight took place in January 2015 when the airline began inaugural A350 services to Frankfurt. Following the introduction of the second A350 XWB, the airline is now scheduled to accept delivery of three more A350 XWB aircraft in June, July and August of this year, all of which will be deployed on the Doha-Singapore route.
“We are thrilled to have taken delivery of our second A350 XWB less than two months after the historic delivery of our first aircraft. The A350 XWB has proven to be a wonderful aircraft, both technologically and from a passenger perspective, and we are confident, that this will continue as we introduce more and more A350 XWBs into our fleet. As the A350 is setting new benchmarks in terms of both comfort and passenger experience, we look forward to welcoming our passengers on board our A350 XWBs, to enjoy our renowned five-star service,” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said.
The A350 XWB service between Doha and Frankfurt, a major traffic hub in Europe, has provided a substantial capacity increase on the route. The aircraft is comprised of a two-class configuration with 36 Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, featuring an 80” fully flat bed and 17” HD in-flight entertainment screen. Economy Class meanwhile, is comprised of 247 seats at 18-inches wide in a 3-3-3 configuration, with up to a 32-inch pitch.
The aircraft provides passengers with an unmatched travel experience thanks to its modern equipment and spacious innovative design with features such as a 10.6” in-flight entertainment screen, and an increase of space at shoulder level for passengers in window seats thanks to the taller, flatter side walls.
More than 70 percent of the A350 XWB’s weight-efficient airframe is made from advanced materials combining composites (53 percent), titanium and advanced aluminium alloys. Additionally, its innovative all-new Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) fuselage results in lower fuel burn as well as easier maintenance.
Qatar Airways, which is the only airline in the world to operate every family of Airbus’ modern airline portfolio, has been serving Frankfurt since 2002.
In addition to the 80 A350s it has on order, the airline has a current Airbus fleet comprising of the A320, A330 Freighter, A319LR, A321, A330, A340 and A380 families.
Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 18 years of operation, to the point where today it is flying a modern fleet of 150 aircraft to 146 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.