DOHA – Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at a special ceremony held Tuesday night at the US aircraft manufacturer's Seattle headquarters, the company said in a statement. A Boeing hangar was the fitting venue for the official handing over of the aircraft to Qatar Airways, a ceremony watched by scores of airline management, Boeing executives and both local and international media. Guest of honor was Qatar's Ambassador to the US Mohamed Bin Abdulla Al-Rumaihi. The delivery marks a milestone in Middle East aviation with Qatar Airways becoming the first airline from the region to take delivery of the 787. The Doha-based carrier has 60 Dreamliners on order with deliveries planned over the next few weeks, months and years. Space, comfort and luxury are key features of the aircraft with Qatar Airways having pushed the boundaries in air travel to create a unique onboard 787 travel experience. The seat design is revolutionary and proprietary to Qatar Airways, which worked closely with the manufacturer to have custom-made seats fitted on the aircraft. The aircraft is also the world's first 787 to be fully connected with wireless facilities enabling all passengers in both business and economy cabins to remain connected with the ground through Wi-Fi and GSM telephony options. The fully interactive inflight entertainment system offers more than 1,000 video and audio options to every passenger. — SG
