OREANDA-NEWS. Ahead of the planned 2014 delivery of the first Qatar Airways Airbus A380-800 on order, the airline today released the first image of the aircraft in partial livery from the manufacturer’s Toulouse assembly line in France.

The traditional Oryx logo, which appears on Qatar Airways’ current mixed fleet of 124 aircraft, is clearly seen gracing the 24 metre high tail of the double-decker A380 superjumbo, and is sure to turn heads at airports worldwide once it is scheduled to enter service early next year.


Qatar Airways' first Airbus A380 is pictured at the manufacturer's Toulouse assembly plant in France.

With three classes of seating over two decks of the luxurious wide-body aircraft, the A380-800 is the largest passenger jet in the world using the latest materials and construction techniques to provide a superior traveller experience and fuel efficiency.

Qatar Airways currently has 13 Airbus A380s on order with plans to operate them on popular routes, especially in slot-constrained airports.

With a customised interior meeting the high demands specifications of Qatar Airways, the airline’s new A380s will undoubtedly be the talk of passengers and aviation enthusiasts around the world when they enter service, expected in Spring 2014.

The release of the photo comes ahead of the Paris Air Show, one of the world’s biggest aerospace events, taking place in Le Bourget in the French capital next week with Qatar Airways having a strong presence at the event starting on June 17.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker summed up the emotions of seeing the new aircraft in the company’s livery.

“The Oryx is a symbol of grace and symbolises Qatar’s traditions and to see it decorating the tail of one of the world’s most advanced aircraft should be a source of pride for our people and our country,” he said.

“Seeing this image for the first time gives me great pride as Qatar Airways prepares to look forward to our newest aircraft type, the world’s biggest, joining our fleet next year.

“It is a striking example of how far our organisation has rapidly grown to its position of leadership as a truly global and world-class airline. The delivery of the first of our new A380s will mark a new chapter for the airline, while reinforcing our commitment to giving our customers the very best travel experience and service.”

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 124 aircraft to 128 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.

Qatar Airways has so far this year launched six destinations – Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Najaf (Iraq), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Chicago (USA), Salalah (Oman) and Basra (Iraq).

Over the next few weeks and months, the network will grow further with Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (August 20), Chengdu, China (September 3), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (September 18), Clark International Airport, Philippines (October 28) and Philadelphia, USA (2 April 2014).