Qatar Airways celebrates delivery of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner

Qatar Airways is celebrating the delivery of the airline's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airplane, the first of 30 787s ordered by the Doha-based airline, is also the first to be delivered to an airline in the Middle East.

"We are delighted to receive our first Dreamliner, an aircraft which we expect will establish new benchmarks for reliability and comfort, when combined with Qatar Airways' signature passenger experience," said Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways. "Our decision to invest in this game-changing airplane, which represents the future of air travel, reflects our firm belief in its unrivaled capabilities and the value it will add to our fleet and network expansion plans."

Made from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow airlines such as Qatar Airways to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public. The airline has announced that it will deploy the Dreamliner on services to Dubai, London Heathrow, Delhi and Zurich, with others planned as additional 787s join the fleet.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Qatar Airways is one of the most remarkable airline success stories of our time and it is only fitting that it has taken delivery of the most technologically advanced jetliner of our time," said Ray Conner, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 787, with its unmatched fuel efficiency and passenger comfort, is certain to enable Qatar Airways' plans to continue to deliver on its promise of quality and profitability. Today's delivery marks the beginning of a new chapter in Boeing's partnership with Qatar Airways, which is based on a mutual commitment to excellence."

Analyst Saj Ahmad said: "As the first Arab airline to take delivery of this revolutionary airplane, Qatar Airways will be able to exploit its 5-Star rated products and services aboard the 787 to good effect.

"It will have very little trouble finding customers to fill the airplane and as one of a few select carriers to date that operate the 787, the exclusivity and novelty factor will weigh heavily on passenger choice. Heathrow is destined to be amongst the first routes the Qatar Airways 787 will be deployed on - a profitable and lucrative route that will almost certainly see a new surge in demand, solely because of the 787 itself.

"With delays to the A350 getting worse, it's likely that Qatar Airways will exercise some of its 30 options it has on the 787 - most notably for the bigger 787-9. This advantage through commonality will allow Qatar Airways to continue growing rather than be held back by Airbus' problems. After showcasing the 787 at Farnborough this summer, the airline will now be keen to exploit the 787 to its customers on a much grander scale."

Pictured: Celebrating the official handover to Qatar Airways of its first 787 Dreamliner in Seattle are, from right: Qatar's Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al-Rumaihi; Boeing Commercial president and ceo Ray Conner; and Qatar Airways ceo Akbar Al Baker.