Doha: Qatar Airways (QA) has announced Frankfurt as the first route for its highly anticipated A350 Xtra Wide Body (XWB) aircraft.
As the global launch operator of A350 XWB, the programme will achieve another milestone once the airline receives its first aircraft before the year-end.
Upon delivery, following weeks of induction preparation, QA will be set to introduce its first commercial service to the German business hub city of Frankfurt.
Frankfurt will be operated non-stop daily with an A350 starting from January.
The airline has chosen the European city for its first route for XWB service because of the capacity the aircraft provides for the comfort of its business and leisure travellers.
QA flies twice-daily to Frankfurt, and the double pairings will be operated by an A350.
Initially, QR067/068 will be the first pairing with A350, followed shortly by QR069/70.
The 283 seats are divided across a dual cabin layout, configured in Business Class and Economy Class — 36 and 247 seats respectively.
QA has 80 Airbus A350s on order, and expects to induct the first eight aircraft into its fleet before 2015-end.
Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, QA, said, “This year has been a Year of the Fleet for QA. The airline has demonstrated its commitment to quality and comfort offered on board and to providing passengers with the leading technology available in the aviation industry.
“QA looks forward to inaugurating our first A350 on the Doha-Frankfurt route, and introducing this next-generation aircraft very soon on many other cities offered on the airline’s extensive network.” Before the year end, the airline will reach 146 destinations, launching new services to Djibouti on October 26 and Asmara (Eritrea) on December 4.
The Peninsula
