Qatar Airways has confirmed that Frankfurt will the very first Airbus A350 XWB route.
As the global launch operator of the A350 XWB, Qatar Airways is expected to receive its first aircraft before the end of this year.
Upon delivery, following several weeks of induction preparation, Qatar Airways will then be set to introduce its first commercial service to the German business hub city of Frankfurt.
Airbus A350-900 XWB MSN3 flying over Singapore
Frankfurt will be operated non-stop daily with an A350 starting from January next year.
Qatar Airways currently flies twice-daily to Frankfurt, and the double pairings will both be operated by an A350 on the route.
Initially QR067/068 will be the first pairing with the A350, followed shortly by QR069/70.
The 283 seats are divided across a dual cabin layout, configured in Business Class and Economy Class; 36 seats and 247 seats respectively.
Qatar Airways has 80 Airbus A350s on order, and expects to induct the first eight production aircraft into its fleet before 2015 year-end.
Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways, said, “This year has truly been a Year of the Fleet for Qatar Airways. The airline has demonstrated its commitment to quality and comfort offered onboard and to providing passengers with the leading technology available in the aviation industry. Qatar Airways looks forward to inaugurating our first A350 on the Doha – Frankfurt route, and to very soon introducing this next-generation aircraft on many other cities offered on the airline’s extensive network.”
Qatar Airways took delivery of its first double-decker A380 aircraft in September of this year, and it is currently operated daily on the very busy Doha – London Heathrow route.