DOHA: Qatar Airways’ (QA) inaugural A350 XWB flight was welcomed at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport on Thursday, marking the start of the A350 XWB service between Frankfurt and Doha, with the new aircraft’s equipment and innovative technology delivering an unparalleled travel experience to passengers.
QA is the global launch customer of A350 XWB, the most fuel efficient and ultra-modern aircraft by Airbus.
It was delivered to QA last December 22 in Toulouse, France.
QA’s second A350 XWB is expected to join its fleet next month, which will also begin commercial operations on the Frankfurt route on March 1.
The Fraport Executive Board and representatives of Qatar Airways Europe welcomed QA, the A350 XWB flight, Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, QA, and Fabrice Brégier, President and CEO.
“This is an important milestone for QA, and our first commercial A350 flight was filled with passengers enjoying the inaugural and exclusive travel experience this new aircraft has to offer. The A350 XWB changes the travel experience and we are pleased to put it on our route to Frankfurt; an important destination we started servicing in 2002,” said Al Baker.
“We had worked towards this first commercial flight of the A350 XWB for nearly a decade. It filled me with pride and satisfaction to see the first passengers enjoy the comfort and quietness of the aircraft. The A350 XWB delivers a 25 percent improvement in fuel efficiency to its operators and being the world’s quietest twin-engine widebody aircraft, it will be a good neighbour at every airport,” added Brégier.
“The inauguration of the A350 XWB route from Doha to Frankfurt marks another milestone in aviation, which Frankfurt Airport is proud to share. We will all benefit from the latest technology being implemented with this aircraft type: passengers, airlines, airports and their surrounding regions. The significant reduction in noise emissions achieved by the A350 will help contribute to quieter flying at Frankfurt,” said Anke Giesen, Fraport AG Executive Board Member for Operations (COO).
The A350 XWB is operating QA’s one of the two daily services to Frankfurt, the airline’s first destination for this aircraft on its network of 146 destinations.
QA is the only airline in the world to operate every family of Airbus’ modern portfolio. In addition to 80 A350s it has ordered, QA has a current Airbus fleet of the A320, A330 Freighter, A319LR, A321, A330, A340 and A380 families. The daily flight on Doha-Frankfurt route with A350 from January 15: Departure from Doha QR67 at 07.40, arriving in Frankfurt at 12.30, and departure from Frankfurt QR68 15.25, arriving in Doha at 23.25.
The Peninsula
