Qatar Airways is set to receive its first Airbus A350XWB aircraft from the European manufacturer in a ceremony in Toulouse today.
The handover of the long-range rival to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner follows an unexpected delay earlier this month.
The A350XWB widebody aircraft has a capacity of between 276-369 seats in three passenger versions – A350-800, A350-900 and A350-1000 – and Airbus claims it offers 25% lower fuel consumption than comparable aircraft.
The A350-900 will provide Qatar Airways with another long haul aircraft that can reach new destinations with a slightly higher capacity than its 787s on more dense and higher demand routes, particularly to regions like Europe.
It will enter service between Doha and Frankfurt in January.
Airbus has carried out more pre-flight testing on the A350 than previous aircraft in an effort to avoid the mistakes made on the A380 superjumbo, which entered service two years late in 2007.
The delivery of the first A350 is running 18 months behind Airbus’s original schedule, but the slippage is less than the delay of the 787.
Although Emirates cancelled a 70-strong order for A350s last summer, interest from Gulf airlines remains strong.
Qatar Airways has 80 A350s on order – the most of any carrier, comprising 42 A350-900s and 37 A350-1000s – and Etihad has ordered 50 A350XWBs.
The Doha-based airline said: “The A350 XWB is a faster, more efficient aircraft as a result of its tapered wing, marking an evolution in aerodynamic design.
“Ergonomically designed for maximum space and comfort, the A350 XWB also has an extra wide cabin, high ceilings and panoramic windows with electromechanical shades that go from transparent to opaque in business class.”