Airbus A350 program head Didier Evrard has a “high level of confidence” that the manufacturer will be able to deliver the first A350-900 to Qatar Airwaysbefore the end of the year.
Evrard said at the company’s global investor forum he had been “perhaps a little too optimistic” when the delivery ceremony for Qatar Airways was scheduled for December 13. The event was cancelled on Wednesday with no reasons given. According to Evrard, the aircraft was handed over from production to the delivery center on December 3 and usually ten days are sufficient to finalize the handover to a customer. However, “a couple of minor issues” have been detected over the past few days that required “some more tests and flights than planned.”
Evrard said two or three additional flights will be needed “to ensure that Qatar Airways is happy. We can understand that they are very careful.” He also pointed out that the carrier is “a very demanding customer.”