Qatar Airways : Launch of the Airbus ‪A350XWB

Hi guys!
As you may know I’m in Doha right now for the launch of the Airbus A350 XWB. If you don’t that means you’re not following me on my FB/FB Page/Twitter/Instagram!
Please do as there are real life updates from there! 🙂

A350 XWB

I’m sharing here some photos of the Airbus.
There was a lengthy and informative press conference before every member of the media was taken for a tour in the aircraft itself.
Give me some time to shovel through all the images and information and you will be able to read a complete article as I update this over the week.

Qatar Airways  Launch of the Airbus ‪A350XWB‬

If you have any burning questions, do leave a comment on my post here or the Instagram/FB/FB Page/ Twitter and I’ll try to response immediately!

The Airbus A350 XWB:

As global launch customer for the A350 XWB, Qatar Airways will be the only airline to fly this aircraft type for the foreseeable future, and was a significant contributor to its cutting edge design in partnership with aircraft manufacturer Airbus and engine manufacturer, Rolls-Royce.

Back in 2007, the airline placed an order across 2 variants; 43 A350-900 and 37 of the LARGER A350-1000 models.
The one launched today is the A350-900 variant. 

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Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker hosted the press conference at the Premium Terminal of Doha International Airport to a crowd of more than 150 international media from over 49 countries who had travelled to Qatar to view the first A350 XWB.

His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker had said; “We are ready to commence operations with the A350 XWB & are delighted to introduce another level of service with our expanded fleet.”

Qatar Airways  Launch of the Airbus ‪A350XWB -001‬

Soon after the press con, we were privileged to be one of the first group public citizens to step into the A350.

Over 70% of the A360 XWB’s weight-efficient airframe is made from advanced materials combining composites (53%), titanium and advanced aluminium alloys.
The aircraft’s innovative all-new carbon fibre reinforced plastic fuselage results in lower fuel burn as well as easier maintenance.

The A350 XWB will comprise a 2-class configuration; business and economy.
The Business Class has 36 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, featuring 80″ fully flat beds and 17″ HD in-flight entertainment screens.
Economy class will have 247 seats, each 18″ wide in a 3-3-3 configuration, with up to a 32-inch pitch.
Each individual seat will feature a 10.6″ in-flight entertainment screen, and more space at shoulder level for passengers in window seats, thanks to a vertical side wall panel design.

Economy class.

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Features : Charging plugs, WIFI, audio ports, extra legroom, up to 18″ wide seats.

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Some may argue that the legroom isn’t much.

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Business Class:

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Qatar’s spacious 36 business class seats (above) and 247 18- inch wide economy seats brings the total tally to 283 passengers.

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Plenty of legroom for the business class.
You can tuck your legs into the compartment underneath the screen.

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And there are more controls for many more features.

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Organic chocolates, chips and fresh fruits are just some of the refreshments “on demand” for business class passengers.
And maybe some over-enthusiastic flight attendants too. But that is in a good way of course!

Qatar Airways  Launch of the Airbus ‪A350XWB -013‬

NOTES about the A350 XWB:

* XWB = xtra wide body
* A350XWB – aircraft manufacturer Airbus & engine manufacturer, Rolls-Royce.
* Faster, more efficient & quieter aircraft – result of its tapered wing, marking an evolution in aerodynamic design
* Fast cruise of speed of Mach 0.85 while leaving the lowest carbon emissions
* Destinations – begins with Doha- Frankfurt on 15th Jan 2015, others – as and when Qatar Airways receive their orders in 2015
* A model of efficiency by design, #A350XWB is one of the lightest aircraft of its type – made from advanced composite materials
* Powered by 2 new-gen Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines

*COMFORT:
– air in cabin is refreshed every few minutes
– 8 different cabin temperature settings
– LED mood lighting
– Business class: aisle seats directly aligned with windows, every passenger will have view
FOOD: Business class passengers will enjoy cuisine designed by renowned chefs Nobu Matsuhisa & Vineet Bhatia & Laduree pastries

Do you know:
Info taken from QA in-flight magazine: 
1. Qatar Airways’ fleet now stands at XXX (numbers in the sheets below) passenger and cargo aircraft.
It has 18 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 37 Boeing 777s; made up of a combination of 777-300ERs an 777-200LRs.
The most recent addition to the family is the A350 XWB.

2. Qatar Airways has more than 340 aircraft on order with a value of US $70 billion.
There are 80 A350s on order and across 2 variants; 43 A350-900 and 37 of the LARGER A350-1000 models.
The one launched today is the A350-900 variant.

3. Qatar Airways is the only airline in the world to operate every family of the Airbus’ modern airline portfolio.
Its current Airbus fleet comprises of A320, A330 Freighter, A319LR, A321, A330, A340 and A380.

qatar airways fleet 1

qatar airways fleet 2

Below is a pictorial timeline of this historic event, beginning from 2007, when Qatar Airways placed the order for the A350s. By 2011, the framework of A350 was almost ready.

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2012: The then French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Airbus President signed the plaque commemorating the inauguration of the A350 XWB final assembly line.

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2013: For its next generation widebody A350 XWB, Airbus is using a chromate-free primer paint that redueces the environment footprint of the manufacturing process.

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2013 Dubai Airshow‘s EADS pavilion: The below full scale A350 XWB cockpit attracts a flow of visitors.

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2013: Qatar Airways GCEO Mr. Akbar Al Baker himself paid a visit to the A350 XWB full-cockpit.
2014: A major milestone:
The A350-900 (the same model launched today) received Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on 30th September 2014, one day after a high-profile formation flight performed by the 5 A350 XWB test aircraft.

qatar airways 5

 

2014: Following its first flight, the initial A350 XWB customer aircraft will continue its production phase – including cabin completion and further ground and flight tests, before Airbus delivery to global launch customer Qatar Airways.

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And now, it is the global launch and here we are, right inside the A350-XWB!

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**More info to be updated.
Do leave a comment if there are any specifics that you wish to know. As of this moment I’m rushing off to catch my flight home!

This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. Sean EDKL

    nice pics of the plane’s interior … the colour scheme is very cool … vibrant and inviting 😀

  2. Nafi

    Cool Their are improving their service

    1. Rebecca Saw

      Yes Nafi 🙂
      I believe every service industry should do so!

  3. Great blog you have here.. It’s hard to find high quality writing like yours nowadays.
    I seriously appreciate people like you! Take care!!

  4. หนัง

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    about from this paragraph.

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