Qatar to Build A350XWB Stronghold at New York-JFK

Qatar Airways announced on Wednesday that the first scheduled route for its new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to the United States will be to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. New York’s primary international airport currently receives two daily flights from Doha, one departing in the early morning operated by the A350-900 and another slightly later operated by the Boeing 777-300ER. The A350-1000 will be replacing the Boeing 777 on the later route, making New York an A350 stronghold for the airline.

“We are thrilled to introduce the A350-1000 on flights to and from JFK, one of our key U.S. gateways,” said Qatar Airways GCEO, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker. “The introduction of this next-generation aircraft to the route demonstrates our commitment to providing passengers travelling to and from the U.S. with the most modern and technologically-advanced aircraft available, ensuring that their experience is second-to-none. We look forward to welcoming all passengers travelling to and from the U.S. on board this spectacular aircraft.”

The announcement comes on the heels of the aircraft’s first visit to the United States a few weeks ago when it flew the German soccer team Bayern Munich to Philadelphia for the Champions Cup and it’s subsequent return to the U.S. a week later to fly the team home from Miami. As the official sponsor of the team, Qatar Airways was the airline of choice for the footballers, but Qatar also used the occasion to debut its newest and prized aircraft in America after using it on regional and European routes to destinations such as London.

Unlike its younger brother, the A350-1000 is equipped with Qatar’s patented QSuites in its business class. AirlineGeeks compared the airline’s two business class products on a trip to Doha in April on both the A350-900, which will continue to serve the airline’s morning service between New York and Doha, and the Boeing 777-300ER equipped with the QSuites found on the A350-1000 including a special review of the double bed suite. The A350-1000 is fitted with 327 seats, 44 more than the A350-900, in a two-class configuration.

Additionally, the skies between New York and Doha will be somewhat cleaner, as the majority of the aircraft’s fuselage is made from lightweight composite materials that reduce fuel burn and increase fuel efficiency. The evening flight to Doha, departing from the oneworld alliance dominated Terminal 8 at JFK at 10:00 p.m., is blocked at 12 hours and 40 minutes while the return is scheduled for 14 hours and 25 minutes, meaning that every drop of fuel counts.

The enhanced service to the Big Apple from Doha will begin on October 28.

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Thomas Pallini

Tom has been flying for as long as he can remember. His first flight memory was on a Song Airlines 757 flying from LaGuardia to Orlando. Back then, he was afraid to fly because he thought you needed to jump off the plane in order to get off. Some years later, Tom is now a seasoned traveler, often flying to places just for the fun of it. Most of the time, he'll never leave the airport on his trips. If he's not at home or at work as a Line Service Technician at Long Island MacArthur Airport, he's off flying somewhere, but only for the day.

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