Qatar Airways to fly A350 to Munich

Qatar Airways will start A350 services to Munich from October 1 and operate the new Airbus model on both its daily flights to the south German city a month later.

The news is unlikely to please Lufthansa, which recently announced it will introduce its first A350-900 to Munich from the end of next year. Qatar’s existing daily flight to Munich is operated by a B787 Dreamliner.

It marks the second German ‘double strike’ for Qatar Airways’ A350 after it introduced the fuel-efficient model on twice-daily flights to Frankfurt. The airline has also recently launched its third A350 aircraft to Singapore and will add its fourth and fifth aircraft with all three daily flights to Singapore scheduled to be operated with the A350 XWB by mid-August.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said its A350 will “redefine” the in-flight experience for its Munich-based passengers. Its split-design business class features a large circular light, which provides a lounge feel, and the 80-inch flatbed seats are configured in a 1-2-1 configuration. All premium seats have direct aisle access with 17-inch HD in-flight entertainment screens.

The airline, which was the launch customer for the A350, has 77 more on order, and currently operates 14 flights each week between Munich and Doha.