DOHA, QATAR – Qatar Airways announced that London is the first route for the world’s first commercial service of its Airbus A350-1000. The five-star Gulf carrier is the global launch customer for the state-of-the-art-aircraft, following delivery by Airbus from the aircraft manufacturer’s base in Toulouse, France last Tuesday.
The world’s first A350-1000 XWB embarked upon its first commercial service to the UK capital on Saturday 24 February as QR 15 at 15:55 hrs and after a seven-hour 30 minute flight, landed at London’s Heathrow Airport at 20:25 hrs. The A350-1000 will operate a daily non-stop service between Doha and London.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We have chosen London as the inaugural destination for this remarkable aircraft because at 23 feet longer than the A350-900, it is able to provide a significant increase in capacity on one of our most popular routes, offering enhanced levels of comfort for our passengers. For the first time in an Airbus aircraft, it will also feature our award-winning, patented Qsuite, offering a First Class experience in Business Class for both business and leisure travellers.
“As one of our flagship routes, we provide our passengers with the most advanced aircraft to fly in comfort and style from Doha to London. Our new A350-1000 provides this in abundance, alongside its sister aircraft, the A350-900, the double-decker A380 as well as the Boeing Dreamliner and the Qsuite-fitted Boeing 777. We look forward to introducing this highly-impressive next-generation aircraft to many other cities, thanks to our extensive and rapidly expanding global route network.”
Rolls-Royce President Civil Aerospace, Mr. Chirs Cholerton, said: “We congratulate the entire team at Qatar Airways on being the first to operate the Airbus A350-1000. We are very proud to see our Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines powering this first flight. They are not only the most powerful engines we have ever produced but they are also the most efficient, delivering the same fuel consumption per passenger as a small family car over the same distance.”
Qatar Airways offers six flights a day between Doha and London, providing a fast and frequent connection between the two capital cities. Passengers can also book flights through Qatarairways.com on British Airways’ daily codeshare service between Doha and London. Qatar Airways’ elegant premium lounge at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4 offers a calm and luxurious welcome to passengers flying in First Class and Business Class. Resembling a boutique hotel or private club, it offers traditional Arabic hospitality with a gourmet dining experience, innovative deli-counter, private showers, a comprehensive business centre and comfortable seating areas, separated by olive trees and fountains.
The A350-1000 XWB will offer a total of 327 seats across two cabins, with 46 award-winning Qsuite Business Class seats and 281 18-inch extra wide Economy Class seats. It offers enhanced levels of passenger comfort, thanks to the lowest twin engine noise level of any aircraft, advanced air conditioning technology and full LED mood lighting.
Later this year, Qatar Airways will launch the first daily direct flights between Doha and Cardiff, U.K. From 1 May 2018, the new service will provide the Welsh capital with links to the rest of the world via Qatar Airways’ extensive global route network. The flights will help provide new economic, leisure and travel opportunities for Welsh businesses through closer links with the rapidly expanding economies of India, China, Australasia and South East Asia. It will also boost and deepen existing trade and industry links between Qatar and the United Kingdom.
Named the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the prestigious 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards, Qatar Airways is preparing to launch scores of exciting new destinations in 2018, including Thessaloniki, Greece; and Cardiff, U.K., to name just a few.
Qatar Airways to Unveil New Stand Concept on Opening Day of ITB Berlin 2018
Qatar Airways will ceremoniously unveil its redesigned exhibition stand on 7 March, the first day of ITB Berlin 2018, the world’s largest travel and tourism trade show. The unveiling will be followed by a press conference at 12:00 pm, which is set to further detail the award-winning airline’s plans for the year ahead.
Qatar Airways will ceremoniously unveil its redesigned exhibition stand on 7 March, the first day of ITB Berlin 2018, the world’s largest travel and tourism trade show. The unveiling will be followed by a press conference at 12:00 pm, which is set to further detail the award-winning airline’s plans for the year ahead.
Visitors to the airline’s stand will be excited by the innovative technology that Qatar Airways has employed to its redesigned exhibition stand, where they can interact with the airline’s advanced products and experience Qatar Airways’ renowned five-star Qatari hospitality.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: "I am looking forward to presenting Qatar Airways’ new exhibition stand to the world’s most notable gathering of travel and tourism professionals. In the spirit of exploration, our new stand will feature innovative ways to interact with Qatar Airways. Of course, you can also depend on our team to experience the many award-winning cabin designs and products, such as our ground-breaking Qsuite. We take our role as a leader in the aviation industry seriously and have developed this concept for that very reason."
The airline's revolutionary Business Class seat, Qsuite, which was launched at 2017 ITB Berlin, will again be on display at Qatar Airways’ booth. Guests and visitors to ITB Berlin will be invited to familiarise themselves with the exciting “First in Business” patented product, which allows multiple configurations for passengers to tailor their inflight experience to their specific needs.
Aside from featuring the world’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, Qsuite is the airline’s first-ever cabin to offer aft and forward-facing seats, taking cabin innovation to an entirely new level with its quad configuration, allowing passengers more choice, privacy and personalisation in their travel experience. Sliding panels enable passengers to transform their space into a shared area customisable for groups of two, three, or four, allowing them to work, dine or socialise at 40,000 feet.
ITB Berlin, which is an annual event, showcases a range of travel exhibitors from over 180 countries and five continents, providing over 160,000 visitors with information on new products, services and facilities in the tourism industry. Qatar Airways welcomes all guests at ITB to visit its new exhibition pavilion at the trade fair in Hall 2.2, stand 207 and 208 from 7-11 March.
Qatar Airways has added many new exciting destinations to its network recently, including Chiang Mai, Thailand; Penang, Malaysia and Canberra, Australia, with direct service to Cardiff, United Kingdom; Mykonos, Greece; and Malaga, Spain set to launch later this year. Known for industry firsts, the airline also just last week took delivery of the first Airbus A350-1000 as Global Launch Customer.
As well as being voted Skytrax ‘Airline of the Year’ by travellers from around the world, Qatar’s national flag carrier also won a raft of other major awards at last year’s ceremony, including ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,’ ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.’
Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft to a network of more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.
