LONDON/PARIS: Qatar Airways has upgraded an order for Airbus A350 aircraft to larger variants, a move that includes new backing for a model designed to compete with Boeing Co’s 777 mini-jumbo.
The European planemaker, part of EADS, announced the move as the influential Gulf airline said it preferred the two largest models of A350 for its business model, confirming a trend towards more seats to cope with regular increases in passenger traffic.
The A350 comes in three models - the two smallest compete with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner while the largest, the 350-seat A350-1000, aims for a crucial niche dominated by the 777.
Many experts see the lucrative market for jets just below 400 seats as the next major battleground between the world’s top planemakers.
Boeing is looking at revamping its 777 design.
Airbus said Qatar Airways had upgraded its order for the largest A350-1000 variant to 37 planes from 20 and increased its order for the base model, the A350-900, by three planes to 43, confirming what aviation sources had previously told.Agencies
