Al-Baker (right) and Boeing Commercial President and CEO, Ray Conner in the cockpit of Qatar Airways’ 25th B787 Dreamliner.
As Qatar Airways prepares to feature several of its latest aircraft on display in Dubai at the forthcoming 14th Dubai Airshow, the airline’s 25th Dreamliner flew straight from the factory lines to Doha, en route to Dubai for static display and tours.
Qatar Airways recently took delivery of its 24th and 25th Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s from the Boeing facility in Everett, Washington. Flying on the aircraft for the 14.5-hour journey was the airline’s group chief executive, Akbar al-Baker.
Al-Baker said, “When the airline took delivery of its first Dreamliner in 2012 it marked a significant shift in our fleet, with a second next-generation Boeing wide-body joining our range of 777’s already flying to a wealth of destinations.
“We now proudly fly our fleet of 25 Dreamliners all across our network, and are pleased to be providing our passengers with a new travel experience, brought to life with the technological advancements introduced with the Boeing 787.
“When we first decided to include the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in our fleet plans, it was a decision purely based on optimal efficiency and providing the very latest in aircraft cabin aerodynamics and features,” Al-Baker said.
The airline currently flies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on routes such as Warsaw, Budapest, Delhi, Denpasar Bali, Amman, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Tokyo Haneda, Casablanca, Milan, Rome, Cape Town, and Johannesburg.
Made up of composite materials, the 787 Dreamliner is lighter and more fuel-efficient than any comparable aircraft of its size and range, and has unique features such as larger windows, reduced cabin noise and cleaner cabin air.
Qatar Airways 787 has 254 custom-made seats across its business and economy class cabins with specially designed interiors. Business class is configured 1–2–1 with 22 seats, while economy has 232 seats in a 3–3–3 layout. All seats in business class are fully reclinable. The airline’s 787s are the world’s first fully connected Dreamliners with wireless facilities for passengers.
