DOHA: Qatar Airways has taken delivery today of three more Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The development reaffirms its position as the largest operator of Airbus A350 aircraft in the world, with 52 in its fleet.
The new planes will operate on strategic long-haul routes to Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “As one of the only airlines to continue taking delivery of new aircraft at this time, our strategic investment in modern, fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft has enabled us to continue flying.
“Environmentally conscious passengers can travel with the reassurance that Qatar Airways continuously monitors the market to assess both passenger and cargo demand to ensure it operates the most efficient aircraft on each route.
“Rather than being forced to fly oversized aircraft due to limited aircraft options, reducing the flexibility for passengers to travel when they want, Qatar Airways has a variety of sustainable aircraft it can choose from to offer more flights with the right capacity in each market.
“Passengers can also rely on our airline operate an honest schedule of flights with our mixed fleet giving us the ability to maintain services, and upgrade or downgrade aircraft size depending on passenger demand.”
Al Baker added, due to the impact of Covid-19 on travel demand, Qatar Airways would continue to keep its Airbus A380 fleet grounded, arguing it is not “commercially or environmentally justifiable” to operate such a large aircraft.
