Ahead of the planned 2014 delivery of the first Qatar Airways Airbus A380-800 on order, the airline yesterday released the first image of the aircraft in partial livery from the manufacturer’s Toulouse assembly line in France.
The traditional Oryx logo, which appears on Qatar Airways’ current mixed fleet of 124 aircraft, is seen on the 24m high tailfin of the double-decker A380 superjumbo, scheduled to enter service early next year.
With three classes of seating over two decks of the luxurious 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. The customised interior will meet the high demand specifications of Qatar Airways.
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 from June 17 with Qatar Airways having a strong presence.
Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar al-Baker said: “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.”
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.