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Qatar Airways celebrates milestone year of expansion
Qatar Airways, the launch customer of the A350 and the first airline to land the A350 in the United States, achieved another milestone by being the first airline to offer a regularly-scheduled A350 service to the United States with its January 1, 2016 service from Doha’s Hamad International Airport to Philadelphia.
January 6, 2016 By Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways was the official launch customer for the A350 and continues to be the leader in deploying the state-of-the-art aircraft around the world. The A350 partnership marks Qatar Airways’ strong investment in technology, superior travel experience and its commitment to maintaining one of the youngest, most advanced fleet in the sky.
“The Airbus A350 was designed from start to finish to meet the needs of today’s international flyer,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker. “At Qatar Airways, we never cease searching for new ways to enhance the passenger experience and with the A350, we have the ideal platform to take global aviation into the next decade.”
Among the many advancements of the Airbus A350, the aircraft features a host of eco-efficiency tools, which combine for a 25% reduction in emissions versus the current generation of airliners. The aircraft has an overall capacity of 283 passengers, including 36 Business Class seats, placed in a spacious 1-2-1 configuration.
Perhaps most welcome of all, the new aircraft boasts an extensive set of features proven to reduce jet lag. The A350 is equipped with a dynamic LED lighting system, with cycles, tones and colors to suit the time of day and destination. A high precision air management system filters the air every few minutes and is combined with lower cabin pressure and optimal humidity to counter the effects of international travel and refresh passengers on arrival.
“The A350 has transcended modern aviation standards and our only challenge has been choosing which of our over 150 destinations would be among the first to enjoy it,” continued Mr. Al Baker. “The city of Philadelphia has been an outstanding partner since we launched in 2014 and it is our pleasure to reward regional travellers with the chance to experience the future of global aviation, today.”
The A350 arrival in Philadelphia comes on the same day Qatar Airways commenced daily, non-stop service to Los Angeles LAX. The airline plans to continue its US expansion throughout the year, doubling flights to New York JFK on April 1st, launching daily, non-stop service to Boston (BOS) on March 16th and Atlanta (ATL) on June 1st.
