Qatar Airways A380 readies for delivery

14 Jun 2013 2118 | Business & Trade Fairs

TOULOUSE, 14 June 2013: Ahead of the planned 2014 delivery of its first Airbus A380-800 Qatar Airways, Wednesday released images of the aircraft with partial livery on the manufacturer’s Toulouse assembly line in France.

The traditional Oryx logo, which appears on Qatar Airways’ current mixed fleet of 124 aircraft, is clearly seen on the 24 metre high tailfin of the double-decker A380 superjumbo, and is sure to turn heads at airports worldwide once it enters service early next year.

With three classes of seating over two decks of the wide-body aircraft, the A380-800 is the largest passenger jet in the world using the latest materials and construction techniques to provide a superior traveller experience and fuel efficiency.

Qatar Airways currently has 13 Airbus A380s on order with plans to operate them on popular routes, especially in slot-constrained airports.

With a customised interior meeting the high specifications of Qatar Airways, the airline’s new A380s enter service in Spring 2014.

The release of the photo comes ahead of the Paris Air Show, one of the world’s biggest aerospace events, taking place in Le Bourget in the French capital next week with Qatar Airways having a strong presence at the event starting on 17 June.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker summed up the emotions of seeing the new aircraft in the company’s livery.

“The Oryx is a symbol of grace and symbolises Qatar’s traditions and to see it decorating the tailfin of one of the world’s most advanced aircraft should be a source of pride for our people and our country,” he said.

“Seeing this image for the first time gives me great pride as Qatar Airways prepares to look forward to our newest aircraft type, the world’s biggest, joining our fleet next year.

“It is a striking example of how far our organisation has rapidly grown to its position of leadership as a truly global and world-class airline. The delivery of the first of our new A380s will mark a new chapter for the airline, while reinforcing our commitment to giving our customers the very best travel experience and service.”

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 124 aircraft to 128 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.

Qatar Airways has so far this year launched six destinations – Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Najaf (Iraq), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Chicago (USA), Salalah (Oman) and Basra (Iraq).

Over the next few weeks and months, the network will grow further with Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (20 August), Chengdu, China (3 September), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (18 September), Clark International Airport, Philippines (28 October) and Philadelphia, USA (2 April 2014).