Airbus has confirmed that the first A350-1000 for launch customer Qatar Airways will be delivered Feb 20. The aircraft will be handed over to Qatar Airways Group CE Akbar Al Baker in Toulouse. Plans for the day show that Airbus is going to considerable lengths for the event, which will include a press conference with senior Airbus, Qatar Airways and Rolls-Royce executives, and a preview of the aircraft before the actual delivery ceremony in the evening. The aircraft is powered by 2 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB97 engines. The delivery of the first A350-1000, the larger of the two A350 models, was initially slated to take place at the end of 2017, but was delayed by what Al Baker described in January as the “complex seat configuration” of the aircraft’s interior. The carrier is installing its new Qsuite business-class cabin in the aircraft. <br/>