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View Full Version : Qatar Airways Takes Delivery of the First Ever A350 Today, December 22nd


Plane And Simple
December 22nd, 2014, 08:16 AM
http://www.ausbt.com.au/photos/view/maxsize:467,260/53fdd8f4e7484bee87481d04767f2254-qatar-airbus-a350-livery-920a.jpg
The first Airbus A350 will be handed over to launch customer Qatar Airways on December 22 ahead of its inaugural commercial flight between Doha and Frankfurt on January 15.
The Gulf airline, which is the prized global launch customer for the A350, has ordered 80 of the twin-aisle jets.
Qatar Airways' A350-900s will have 36 seats in business class and 247 in economy.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/photos/view/maxsize:467,309/53fdd90994704a3fa5f41d11767f2254-qatar-airbus-a350-livery-920b.jpg

In addition to ordering 43 of the mid-sized A350-900, Qatar has also signed up for 37 of the stretched A350-1000, which has room for 350 passengers in a three-class cabin and will enter service in mid-2017.
Qatar's colours previously adorned one of the A350 test aircraft as a special 'launch customer' livery.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/photos/view/maxsize:467,225/52f0b482c9f04553ae780f96767f2254-qatar-airbus-a350-livery-1000.jpg

While Qatar will be first to fly the Airbus A350, several other airlines will be quick to follow.
South America's LATAM Airlines Group, comprising Chile's LAN and Brazil's TAM, has already revealed its A350 cabin and seating designs, including front-facing business class seats (in a 2-2-2 layout) which convert to fully lie-flat beds.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/photos/view/maxsize:467,266/53349886a33c4d8b811555f1767f2254-lan-tam-a350-787-busines-class-1000p.jpg

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Finnair's Airbus A350 fleet, which will begin flying in the second half of 2015 to Asia, will sport the popular Zodiac Cirrus seat – best known as the business class seat of Cathay Pacific, and also used by American Airlines and Air France.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/photos/view/maxsize:467,262/53eb3bfb1fe4448988005514767f2254-Finnair-A350-business-class-cabin-1500b.jpg

Patent applications filed by the airline and renowned design firm PriestmanGoode reveals a herringbone-style layout which gives each passenger direct aisle access plus an oversized seat that's closer to a one-person couch.
In fact, BA's mock-up artwork calls it a sofa rather than a seat, and we wouldn't be surprised if the final product – should this design come to fruition – was marketed as the Club World Suite.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/photos/view/maxsize:467,317/53fb17ce31204f9c9ef4027e767f2254-british-airways-ba-photos-new-Airbus-A350-club-world-business-class-seats-concept-9.jpg

One A350 airline which is keeping its power dry is Cathay Pacific, although we do know that CX will launch all-new seat designs for its Airbus A350 fleet, with Porsche Design Group crafting new business class seats codenamed ‘FB3’.
Also on the roster is London-based Tangerine, perhaps best known as the former home of Apple design guru Jony Ive, which is responsible for Cathay's new economy seats plus a ‘tip to tail’ brief to design the cabin interiors for all three classes on the Airbus A350.

Jason The Great
December 22nd, 2014, 09:04 AM
Holy sh*t , that's gorgeous!

liptonlee
December 22nd, 2014, 10:51 AM
is it really *that* spacious...

Plane And Simple
December 22nd, 2014, 05:05 PM
is it really *that* spacious...

Yes it is. Calles XWB which stands for "ExtraWideBody". Huuuuuuuuge :D

Uranus
December 22nd, 2014, 06:27 PM
Dayyuuuuuum! That's a fine plane! That's probably better looking than Air Force One

Malcolm Tucker
December 22nd, 2014, 07:50 PM
While a nice plane, and I can't wait to get to fly it in 2018, I'm dubious of QR's layout up front. The lounge is EXTREMELY open plan, and might be extremely disturbing to those pax. seated directly fwd/aft of it, if not further.

Either way, a great plane. Congrats. to all involved.

agfc99
January 1st, 2015, 07:59 PM
It looks beautiful!!
I was really lucky last year and managed to fly on pretty much every major aircraft type including 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, 787, A319, A320, A321, A380 and MD80 and Dash 80.
I'd LOVE to get the chance to fly on an A350, I'd love even more if I got to sit 'up front' but thats never going to happen! I like the idea of BAs sofa but the finnair cabin looks awesome too!