Airbus delivered the first A350-1000, the largest variant of the A350XWB family, to its launch customer Qatar Airways on February 20 in Toulouse. This twin-aisle airplane, able to carry up to 366 passengers in three-class configuration (and a maximum of 440), will officially enter service on February 24 on the Doha-Heathrow route, said Akbar Al-Baker, president of Qatar Airways. "Then, we will put the -1000 in service in the U.S.," added Al-Baker.

"This delivery is extremely important for Airbus and Qatar Airways, since this airline was the launch customer of both the A350-900 and the -1000," said Fabrice Brégier, former president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft. Qatar’s A350-1000 purchase was Brégier’s last official project before being replaced by Guillaume Faury. Qatar Airways expects to receive five more A350-1000s this year.

This delivery slipped from December 2017 because of a delay in the delivery of its new Q-Suite business-class seats made by B/E Aerospace (now part of Rockwell Collins). "The A350-1000 is a very complex program, but the problem has been solved in record time, and I’m delighted to have this new aircraft in my fleet," said Al-Baker. The Qatar Airways A350-1000 has 44 seats more than the A350-900s in service with the airline, which has. ordered a total of 80 A350XWBs, of which 37 are -1000s. Qatar Airways currently operates 21 A350-900s.

The A350-1000 was certified in November 2017 after making its first flight in November 2016. Airbus has logged orders for 169 from 11 customers. Some of them are also -900 buyers, including Latam, IAG, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, and Japan Airline. The airframer wants to make the A350-1000 "the ideal replacement for the Boeing 777-300ER," Brégier said.

According to Airbus, the twin-aisle market could constitute a total of 8,700 new airplanes by 2037, of which the A350-1000 could represent more than 1,000. Airbus claims the A350-1000 saves 25 percent in fuel burn and total operating costs, compared with the 777-300ER. "Even compared to the newest 777-9X, the A350XWB will offer better fuel burn, because it weighs 35 tonnes less," said Marisa Lucas, head of A350 product marketing. The flight test program involved 1,600 flight hours with three test aircraft, compare to 2,500 hours with five aircraft for the A350-900. It is powered by a Rolls Royce Trent XWB variant, the Trent XWB-97 with 97,000 pounds of thrust.