Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) Chief Executive Officer (COE) Akbar al Baker has confirmed the carrier has delayed delivery of its first A350-1000 until February.

As the A350-1000's launch operator, the Qatari airline had been expected to add its first aircraft of the type by the end of 2017. However, speaking in Doha, al Baker said the current delay was caused by the installation of the ‘Qsuite' in business class which was taking longer than expected. The “complex seat configuration” has had also had implications on the certification of the aircraft, he added.

“We will be taking delivery of this aircraft next month,” he was quoted by Reuters.

Qatar Airways has thirty-seven A350-1000s on order from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac). It already operates twenty-two A350-900s.