Qatar Airways to take delivery of first A380 in Spring 2014

Qatar Airways is set to take delivery of the first A380 aircraft in spring 2014 after it was ferried from Toulouse to Hamburg during a test flight last week. The Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, is one of thirteen on order by Qatar Airways. The aircraft will be fitted in a tri-class configuration with seats in First Class, Business Class and Economy Class. The first route will be to a European destination, with the city to be confirmed at a later date. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said that the airline is pleased to see the progress being made on their first A380. "It is thrilling to see the A380 painted in Qatar Airways colors on display during its test flight from Toulouse to Hamburg. We have been awaiting the delivery of our first A380, and are delighted to soon operate passenger services with this fantastic aeroplane. "Our mission is to provide our passengers the best – whether it is comfort, cuisine, the most expansive route network, or the best connectivity. By introducing the A380 to our ever expanding young and modern fleet, we are keeping to our commitment of ensuring that our passengers have the best possible experience when travelling with Qatar Airways," he added. The airline's original order of eight A380 aircraft was made at the Dubai Airshow in January 2004, and then nearly doubled with an order for an additional five aircrafts at the Dubai Airshow in 2010. Qatar Airways' future home, Hamad International Airport, scheduled to open in the beginning of 2014, has been specially designed to cater to the A380, with six contact gates designed with specifications required for the super jumbo. In addition, the maintenance hangar at HIA – which will be the largest in the world – is able to accommodate two A380s simultaneously. Over the next few weeks and months, the airline's network will expand with the addition of further destinations – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (September 18), Ta'if, Saudi Arabia (October 2), Clark International Airport, Philippines (October 27), and Philadelphia, USA (April 2, 2014). The carrier has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 129 aircraft to 130 key business and leisure destinations worldwide.