HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, HE the Minister of Finance and QA chairman Ali Sherif al-Emadi and QA chief executive Akbar al-Baker, with FC Barcelona legend and former captain Carles Puyol and current player Luis Suarez at the A380 welcome ceremony yesterday. QA has an ongoing partnership with FC Barcelona.

By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter

 

 

Marking a major milestone in the history of Qatar Airways (QA), the national carrier’s first A380 superjumbo landed at the Hamad International Airport (HIA) yesterday at 5pm in the presence of a galaxy of dignitaries.

HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, HE the Minister of Finance and QA chairman Ali Sherif al-Emadi and QA chief executive Akbar al-Baker, sheikhs, ambassadors and a host of senior officials were present.

The A380 had departed from the Airbus facility in Hamburg, Germany, yesterday morning after a handover ceremony led by al-Baker and Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier.

“This is a milestone moment in Qatar Airways’ young history. QA will receive four A380 by the end of this year and will operate daily to London and Paris, two of our highly popular routes,” al-Baker told a press conference.

The superjumbo is the first of the 13 A380 on orders of QA. It is expected to fly to London, Heathrow on October 10 for its inaugural commercial flight.

Al-Baker pointed out that QA received its first A380 four months after relocating to a new home at the HIA.

QA’s first A380 can accommodate a total of 517 passengers: 461 in Economy, 48 in Business and eight in First Class – with the widest seats in the industry. All its seats are equipped with the latest entertainment systems besides the stylish and comfortable interior.

“It has features which really is very unique. I know that every airplane has seats, I know that every airplane is provided with lounge, I know that they have business class and they serve food to passengers. But nobody does it with ‘class’ the way we do,” al-Baker claimed.

The chief executive said they started with only four aircraft in 1997 operated to 14 regional routes. In 2003, QA placed its first order of A380 superjumbo when it was flying to 50 destinations with 28 aircraft. Now, the national flag carrier is flying to 150 destinations with more than 140 aircraft in its fleet.

“Qatar Airways  has grown  from strength to strength and is recognised all around the world for its excellence and high standards, and this is thanks to the vision of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin  Hamad al-Thani and HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani,” he noted.

Known for its unique combination of increased capacity, long-haul range and exceptional fuel efficiency, the A380 captures 90% of the Very Large Aircraft market, Airbus said.

“The delivery marks the beginning of a new chapter for Qatar Airways as it pushes boundaries and expands its operations,” said Airbus on its website, noting that QA is the 12th airline to fly the A380.

Airbus has received a total of 318 orders from 19 customers including QA and other Gulf carriers.

“As a five-star performer, the A380 has become a firm favourite with passengers and airlines, due to the smoothness of the flight, quietness of the cabin and the spaciousness of the overall aircraft layout,” it said.

Airbus also noted that more than 65MN passengers have already tried flying on board an A380. “Every four minutes, an A380 either takes off or lands at one of the 41 airports where it operates today and the network is constantly growing.”

QA’s first A350, a new long-range jet smaller than the A380, will be delivered before the end of the year. Page 20