Qatar Airways will be the first airline to fly the Airbus A350-1000, giving the fast-growing Gulf airline a prestigious double crown as launch customer for both the initial A350-900 and its larger longer-range sibling.
"The A350-1000 is next on its way, and yet again Qatar Airways will be first airline to receive the A350-1000, which should be entering service in 2017" said Mike Bausor, A350 WXB Marketing Director, speaking at today's official launch of the Qatar A350 in Doha.
Cathay Pacific, Etihad and United Airlines have also signed on the dotted line for the A350-1000, which will carry an estimated 350 passengers in a three-class layout compared to around 310 passengers in the A350-900.
This of course depends on how each airline configures their A350 cabins: Qatar's spacious 36 business class seats (above) and 247 18- inch wide economy seats brings the tally to 283 passengers.
Qatar's A350-1000 will feature Qatar's next generation business class, which Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker described to Australian Business Traveller as a 'business class bedroom' offering a double bed at a business class fare."
Read: Qatar promises 'business class bedroom' for 2016
The Airbus A380 will be the only jet in Qatar's fleet boasting first class.
“Our premium travel is business travel, mostly, so we will keep a very limited number of first class seats, only in the A380, and all the other airplanes will only have a business class product" Al Baker said.
“We have decided that we better not have first class, but give a very good business class product, and that is what we are doing – we are really giving a first class product with a business class price.”
David Flynn travelled to Doha as a guest of Qatar Airways.
More on Qatar Airways and the Airbus A350:
- Review, photos: The very first Airbus A350 'public passenger' flight
- Flight report: on board Qatar Airways' first Airbus A350-900
- Cathay Pacific takes Airbus A350 test flight
- Photos: Qatar's new Al Mourjan Business Lounge in Doha
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Lufthansa - Miles & More
29 Jul 2014
Total posts 181
That will be a p***ed off cx they were the launch customer. Who is the lanch customer for the -8 if it dosent get axed
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Jan 2013
Total posts 698
Business class offerings on some airlines are really putting pressure on First classes, because the line between the two are blurring heavily. It'll be interesting to see how that pans out in future years, as there is only so far you can go. I also appreciate its forcing some of the slower to adapt airlines to pick up the pace in offering all direct access Business seating - a trend I'm happy to see spreading. The future is looking good indeed!
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