Qatar Airways is all set to exhibit its Airbus A350 new-generation jetliner at the India Aviation 2016 in Hyderabad, India, next month.

The A350, for which Qatar Airways was the global launch customer, will make its debut at India’s largest civil aviation and aerospace show, taking place from March 16 to 20.

Held under the theme “India’s Civil Aviation Sector: Potential as Global Manufacturing & MRO Hub,” the event is expected to bring together 250 exhibitors and up to 50,000 visitors from around the world. Organised by India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the event will be inaugurated by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, and will feature static displays, demonstration flights and aerobatic shows.

Qatar Airways group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are proud to showcase our A350 for the first time in the Indian market, giving prospective clients and visitors a glimpse of what to expect when they fly on board. We recently celebrated the first anniversary of our A350 operations which demonstrates our technologically-advanced and fast-growing young fleet. The aircraft is the very latest in design, technology and comfort, and will be making its debut appearance on the Indian shores soon.

“India, as one of the world’s largest aviation markets, continues to command respect. The focus this year on growing the manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul businesses in India is commendable, and will benefit the aviation industry as a whole,” he said.

Qatar Airways was the global launch customer of the A350, taking delivery of the first aircraft in December 2014 and starting commercial operations in January 2015. The airline currently operates seven aircraft with regular commercial service to Frankfurt, Munich, Singapore and Philadelphia – the first airline to operate A350s to three continents. The state-of-the-art aircraft features customised interior settings, with its Business Class cabin comprising of 36 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration and its Economy Class cabin in a 3-3-3 configuration, allowing it to seat 247 passengers.

The Doha-based carrier participated in the Indian Aviation show in 2010, exhibiting a Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft and Qatar Executive’s Bombardier Challenger 300, together with a hospitality chalet. As in past events, Qatar Airways will extend its award-winning hospitality to esteemed guests, media and trade partners at a dedicated visitors chalet.

Qatar Airways, the national airline of Qatar, is one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Now in its 19th year of operations, the airline operates a modern fleet of 177 aircraft flying to key business and leisure destinations across six continents.

Qatar Airways offers daily passenger flights to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Chennai, Bengaluru (Bangalore), Nagpur, with 11-flights-a-week to Cochin and double daily flights to the capital, Delhi. – TradeArabia News Service