Qatar Airways marked its return to the India Aviation International Exhibition and Conference with the display of its A350 new-generation aircraft for medium- to long-haul operations.
Making its first public appearance in India, the ultra-modern aircraft grabbed attention from visitors and VIPs with its custom-designed interiors and innovative design.
India’s President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the fifth edition of India Aviation, the country’s largest exhibition and conference on civil aviation, being held in Hyderabad from March 16 to 20.
Also present on the occasion was Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati, India’s Minister for Civil Aviation.
Qatar Airways, the global launch customer of the A350, recently celebrated one year of operations with the world’s most technologically advanced aircraft. The airline’s A350 now flies to four destinations – Frankfurt, Munich, Philadelphia and Singapore – across three continents: Asia, Europe and North America.
Soon, the aircraft will be flying to the upcoming new routes of Adelaide and Boston, and also the second daily flight to New York.



Al-Baker on board Qatar Airways’ newest A350 aircraft
with first officer Abdulrahman Mohamed A Mulla.

Al-Baker said: “It gives us immense pride to be a part of India Aviation 2016 and we are delighted to showcase our A350 for the first time here. We remain committed to India and look forward to developing our footprint to give the Indian travelling public a wide choice of services. This will expand opportunities for business and tourism, and create new jobs in aviation and allied industries.”
Like Qatar, he said, the Indian economy is experiencing robust growth. “Qatar Airways serves more than 150 destinations with award-winning service, and we serve more cities in India than any other country in our network. We fly to 13 Indian cities operating 102 passenger flights and 30 freighter flights every week. This market will always be a key part of our growth strategy, and we look forward to growing our presence in India.”
Qatar Airways celebrated one year of A350 commercial operations in January. Offering the “latest in design and technology”, and combined with Qatar Airways’ “award-winning service”, the aircraft has taken passenger experience to the highest level. Qatar Airways operates the largest number of A350s in the world with eight of this aircraft type in its young fleet.
The A350 is a faster, more efficient aircraft as a result of its tapered wing, marking an evolution in aerodynamic design. Ergonomically designed for maximum space and comfort, the A350 also has an extra-wide cabin, high ceilings and panoramic windows with electromechanical shades that go from transparent to opaque in Business Class.
A model of efficiency by design, the A350 is one of the lightest aircraft of its type, made from advanced composite materials and powered by two new-generation Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. This also makes it kinder to the earth, with 25% lower carbon dioxide emissions than with current generation aircraft in its category.
Currently, Qatar Airways operates every family of Airbus’ modern airliner portfolio comprising of the A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380.