Qatar Airways orders 80 Airbus A350XWBs

Qatar Airways has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to buy 80 of the all-new Airbus A350XWB aircraft. The agreement supersedes an earlier one signed in 2005 for 60 of the original A350 aircraft, and makes the airline the largest customer for the A350XWB to date and the first one in the Middle East region.

The agreement was signed at the Elysée Palace in Paris in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, and Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic, by Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker and Airbus President and CEO Louis Gallois.

The 80 aircraft include 20 A350-800s, 40 A350-900s and 20 of the largest in the family, the A350-1000. Deliveries will begin from 2013. Qatar Airways will use the A350XWBs to complement its A330s and A340s on regional and long haul routes.

"The A350XWB will equip Qatar Airways with the very latest generation and most modern fleet. In addition to unbeatable operating economics, the A350XWB shares the same cockpit commonality with other Airbus aircraft, especially the A380, so introducing the modernised fleet will be a simple and cost efficient step," said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker.

The A350 XWB, is Airbus' newest aircraft and will be the world's most technologically advanced. It is designed to increase productivity, offer unparalleled levels of passenger comfort in its class whilst reducing operating costs. Addressing environmental concerns, the A350XWB will be one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft ever.

Qatar Airways is the largest all-Airbus operator in the Middle East and one of the world's leading airlines, with a fleet that comprises aircraft from the A320, A300/A310 and A330/A340 families. It is also a customer for the A380.

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