Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its A350-1000 aircraft.
The airline is the launch customer of the new aircraft, which has a range of 8,000nm (14,800 km), is seven metres longer than the A350-900 and has (in Qatar Airways’ configuration) an additional 44 seats (327 seats compared with 283 seats).
The A350-1000 has 46 Qsuite business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration (these are 80-inch long, fully flat beds with 22-inch HD in-flight entertainment screens). The middle seats in the cabin are capable of being turned into six double beds and six quad suites. The economy class is 281 seats, each 18-inches wide in a 3-3-3 configuration, with “up to” a 32-inch pitch, each with an 11.6-inch in-flight entertainment screen.
It will debut on the London to Doha route as QR15 according to Flight Global.
Qatar Airways has had to be patient waiting for the aircraft….
The airline has experience, however, having been the launch customer of the A350-900, receiving the first one in 2014, and with 23 of the aircraft in the fleet to date.
It has 76 of the A350 family aircraft on order and is the largest A350-1000 customer. CEO Akbar Al Baker said that the airline will receive a total of six A350-1000s by the end of 2018.
The new aircraft has the business class Q-Suite (read more here) which debuted on the B777-300ER fleet. There are currently 15 aircraft flying with the Q-Suite and the A350-1000 will be the 16th. There is no premium economy, so it is a two-class configuration.
“Qatar Airways always demands the very best for its customers, so it is right that we are the first airline in the world to fly the Airbus A350-1000,” said Al Baker. “This remarkable state-of-the-art aircraft will become a firm part of Qatar Airways fleet and will keep us ahead of the curve, allowing us to continue to offer our passengers outstanding levels of comfort and service.”
The airline says that the A350-1000 has the widest cabin body of any class with vertical sidewalls and larger windows creating an extra spacious feel, the largest overhead bins of any aircraft for maximum storage, a flat cabin floor without any obstructions for extra legroom and the widest seats of any jetliner in its category, with generous room within all classes.
In common with the other A350s, it also has advanced air system technology, which delivers optimal cabin air quality, renewing air every two-to-three minutes for more comfort and less fatigue, a draught-free air circulation system resulting in a low ambient cabin noise level for a more peaceful journey – it has the quietest cabin of any twin-aisle aircraft – LED mood lighting (with 16.7 million colours) that mimics a natural sunrise and sunset to help reduce the effects of jet lag and is the lightest 350-plus capacity passenger aircraft, placing it at the cutting edge of air travel.
The aircraft is made from 53 per cent composite material, which allows for lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions per passenger. Other notable features include the most advanced fully integrated wing design, which sports distinctive, efficient winglets for greater aerodynamic efficiency, an advanced flight control system, which constantly adapts to minimise gust-induced wing loading, and an active humidification system in First and Business Class.
Qatar Airways says that, “The A350-1000 is the first aircraft to systematically offer internet connectivity, providing passengers with a global broadband connection, a high-bandwidth fibre optics delivering high-definition video to passengers, cameras installed on the tail and belly of the aircraft that provide passengers with a 360° outside view throughout the flight and advanced design technologies that contribute to fuel consumption, which is 25 per cent lower than other aircraft in the same category.”
