Qatar Airways to debut first A380 in June

Qatar Airways has announced that the airline will commence operations of its first A380 aircrafts on the London Heathrow Airport and Hamad International Airport (HIA) route starting 17 June 2014.

The A380 is the largest passenger jet in the world, featuring a tri-class configuration of seating in First, Business and Economy Class, over two decks. With thirteen A380 aircrafts on order, Qatar Airways is set to receive three A380 aircrafts in quick succession this June.

The new First Class A380 seat, recently revealed at the travel show ITB in Berlin, features a 90-inch pitch, transforming the seat into a fully flat bed.

CEO of Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker described the acquisition of the A380 aircrafts as “a significant moment in our airline’s history.”

HIA, the future home of Qatar Airways’ A380 fleet, has been specially designed to cater to the aircraft, with six contact gates designed specifically for the super-jumbo. The maintenance hangar at HIA – the largest in the world – is able to accommodate two A380s simultaneously.

In addition to the thirteen A380 aircraft the airline currently has on order, Qatar Airways is also set to receive the first of eighty A350 aircrafts as Airbus’ launch customer. This forms part of Qatar Airways plans to significantly expand its fleet with 300 additional aircraft on order, worth more than $50 billion, including the Boeing 787 and 777X.