The super-jumbo Airbus A380’s debut with Qatar Airways has been pushed back yet again, due to problems with the aircraft’s cabin, the national carrier’s CEO has confirmed.
It is now expected that the Qatar Airways inaugural flight of the world’s largest passenger aircraft will not take place until at least Aug. 1, according to online schedules for the airline – despite an expected July launch date.
Qatar Airways would not confirm a revised date for the first flight. But in a statement, the airline’s CEOÂ Akbar Al Baker did acknowledge a fresh delay, saying:
“The delivery of Qatar Airways’ first three A380 aircraft has been further delayed as certain elements of the aircraft are being finalized to meet the high standards and expectations of Qatar Airways.”
He added that “certain issues affecting the interior of the cabin which were identified during the airline’s standard aircraft delivery process which includes rigorous inspections by its specialist technical team.”
Resolving the issues would “lead to an unfortunate delay of several weeks before Qatar Airways flagship aircraft will commence commercial service,” Al Baker concluded.
Meanwhile, the launch of the Doha-Paris Charles de Gaulle route on the A380 has also been delayed until at Aug. 15, at the earliest.
There is no further information on the launch of the A380 Doha to New York flight, which last month Al Baker confirmed to Doha News was in the works.
Previous delays
The Qatar national carrier has had to push back plans to take delivery of the aircraft several times over the last few months, due to unresolved issues.
It first formally announced the “highly anticipated arrival” of the first batch of three of a total of 13 A380 aircraft in a statement at the end of April. At that time, the debut flight to London had been scheduled for June 17.
However, at the end of May, flight schedules for the airline showed this had been pushed back to July 1. At the time, Qatar Airways did not comment on the delay.
The delivery of these super-jumbos is more than six months late, due to the delayed launch of Hamad International Airport, which finally opened its doors to all airlines, including Qatar Airways, last month.
A380 details
When the A380 does enter service, the aircraft is expected to take over flight numbers QR003 and QR004, which leave Doha at 7:55am, and return from London at 3:05pm, respectively.
Qatar Airways’ A380 will have 517 seats in all over two decks – 457 in economy, split between the upper and lower decks, 52 in business and eight in first class, all on the upper deck.
Qatar Airways is in the midst of significant growth, as it plans to expand its current fleet of 131 with a further 300 aircraft, worth $50 billion, on order.
It plans to receive the first of its order of 80 A350 aircraft later this year, and also has orders in for more Boeing 787s and for the 777X.
Will this delay affect your travel plans? Thoughts?
“Certain issues affecting the interior of the cabin…”
Translation;
Etihad have got something better. Go fix now.
You just read my mind but you wrote it much better. 😉
Think that a lot of people will be thinking the same after reading reports on the new Etihad A380s last week. Not sure how you can trump that. I suppose making the seats and legroom in Economy Class would not be considered, despite its popularity among the travelling masses ??? Might lose a few seats, but majority of passengers would be happy rather than a few.
Maybe inspiration from here?
http://www.panarabiaenquirer.com/wordpress/etihad-unveils-luxurious-new-onboard-villa/
Life mirroring art perhaps?
They have to redesign part of the upper deck in response to Ethiad.
According to this the aircraft was handed over from Airbus to Qatar Airways and is currently in Hamburg. So fingers can’t be pointed at Airbus. http://www.abcdlist.nl/a380f/a380f.html
And as for the A350, 5 aircraft for Qatar Airways currently nearing completion on the Toulouse assembly line. Qatar Airways will be getting some deliveries by the end of 2014, but it certainly won’t be receiving “80 A350 aircraft later this year”. Perhaps you meant to write that it will begin receiving some of the 80 A350s on order by the end of the year?
Hello, thanks for pointing out that mistake re the A350 deliveries – it’s fixed now. And re: your first point – yes, as mentioned in the story, Qatar Airways identified “certain issues” during the delivery flight – the handover – which are causing the delay.
i just hope that they will look what their QAS supervisors do to the Equipment Operators. i mean common work sched like 6 days a week (9hrs + 9hrs + 11hrs + 11hrs + 11hrs + 11 hrs ) and the OTs are not paid…… last year one of them died and one got hospitalized…. crazy management for QAS… i just hope they would look and manage their people correctly. at least to take pride again purchasing new planes.
Am I the only one who finds the grey in the livery very ugly and depressing.
I guess they could make it just plain white so that the new aeronautical college graduates would be instantly at home and fly them like they drive their similarly coloured Landcruisers, barging other waiting planes off the runway and taxiway !!! Presume you can flash your headlights in one of these and they fitted with a loud horn for when they block the runway and want their tea brought out to them ???
Gosh.. Don’t give them the idea. They might like it and thus, there will be further delay to implement all those on board.
Except the loud horn part as it is against the traffic department’s guideline.
Nope – I agree. Maybe reverse the colours – grey writing on maroon background. That’d look snazzier.
Mouth/trousers – all about appearances. Try to get any service and it is a completely different story.
Was due to fly A380 on July 3rd and back again on July 20th.
Wonder if they will need two planes to take over as I would imagine that they would have been pretty full by now?
Have they notified you of an aircraft change or change to the booking? A full A380 would mean putting people on different services.
I know there’s plenty of avgeeks who are pretty disappointed by this news having already booked the inaugural service.
No had no notification, but I checked my booking online where they now list a different aircraft (Same times) so guess there is no need for them to contact me? They have kept me with my family for our return trip (we come back here together but leave separatly) but we no longer have the bassinet seats we were allocated for the A380.
Ive flown on them twice in a month…with Qantas…nice planes
I just checked my booking online. We have lost our bassinet seats now which we had selected for the A380 flight. So thats going to make things much more difficult with the little one!
In comparison to the suites that are available on Emirates and Singapore airlines on the A380 this first class cabin looks distinctly underwhelming.
Not saying I wouldn’t mind flying in it, but if QA are trying to compete for luxury, they dont seem to have hit the mark.
looks like Uncle Al is finally realizing that every one else has made
the A380 a first class marque feature, while that you yourself Uncle Al
said there is no place for first class in aviation, there is in reality
a place for first class. When are you going to step down Al. Your
over your head and out classed.