On July 21st, Qatar Airways received its 24th Airbus A350-1000, after a long delay due to surface degradation issues and a legal battle with Airbus. The aircraft, with the registration (A7-AOD), assembled in 2020, completed nine test flights before delivery, accumulating over 13 hours in the air.
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The A350-1000 registered (A7-AOD) conducted its delivery flight from Toulouse, France, to Doha’s Hamad International Airport in Qatar. The aircraft departed at 16:28 local time and arrived at its destination at 23:17 local time, according to FlightRadar24.com data.
With the addition of the 24th A350-1000, Qatar Airways now has a total of 58 Airbus A350s, making it the operator of the second-largest A350 fleet globally, with 12 A350-900s still listed as parked. Qatar Airways previously held the title for the largest A350 fleet in the world but lost it to Singapore Airlines because of its legal battle with Airbus. Singapore Airlines now has 62 A350s, with only two listed as parked by Planespotters.net.
Qatar Airways is expected to receive 18 more A350s, while Singapore Airlines has ten, including seven A350Fs, according to ch-aviation.com. Therefore, Qatar Airways is set to regain its title as the world’s largest A350 operator, as long as no additional orders are placed. In summary, Qatar Airways has received its 24th Airbus A350-1000 after a long wait due to surface degradation issues. The airline’s A350 fleet now totals 58 aircraft, making it the second-largest A350 operator globally. With 18 more A350s on the way, Qatar Airways is set to reclaim its title as the world’s largest A350 operator.