PARIS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- European aviation manufacturer Airbus delivered its first A350-1000, a wide body airliner equipped with powerful Rolls Royce engines, to Qatar Airways on Tuesday during a ceremony in Toulouse, according to a statement from Airbus.
"The aircraft is the first of 37 A350-1000s ordered by the carrier and is the first ever Airbus aircraft fitted with the revolutionary new Qsuite seats, offering the first ever double bed in business class," Airbus said in the statement.
"We are the first airline in the world to fly the Airbus A350-1000," said Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker. "This remarkable state-of-the-art aircraft will become a firm part of Qatar Airways fleet and will keep us ahead of the curve."
"With its greater capacity compared to the A350-900, the newest wide body will play a major role on the carrier's busiest long-haul routes and will contribute to strengthen their position at the forefront of the aviation industry," said Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier.
The A350-1000, the latest wide body airliner from Airbus, offers greater capacity than that of existing aircraft in the twin-aisle category. With a 7-meter longer fuselage, the space available aboard the A350-1000 for outfitting the premium cabin is 40 percent greater than its smaller sibling, the A350-900, said Airbus in its statement.
The configuration of the A350-1000 ordered by Qatar Airways will include 44 additional seats and the aircraft features a modified wing trailing-edge, new six-wheel main landing gears and powerful Rolls Royce Trent XWB-97 engines.
Like the A350-900, the A350-1000 combines the latest developments in aerodynamics, design and advanced technology for a 25-percent step change in operating costs compared to competing aircraft of the previous generation.
