Ahead of the planned 2014 delivery of the first Qatar Airways Airbus A380-800 on order, the airline today released the first image of the aircraft in partial livery from the manufacturer’s Toulouse assembly line in France.

The traditional Oryx logo, which appears on Qatar Airways’ current mixed fleet of 124 aircraft, is clearly seen gracing the 24 metre high tail of the double-decker A380 superjumbo, and is sure to turn heads at airports worldwide once it is scheduled to enter service early next year.

With three classes of seating over two decks of the luxurious wide-body aircraft, the A380-800 is the largest passenger jet in the world using the latest materials and construction techniques to provide a superior traveller experience and fuel efficiency.

Qatar Airways currently has 13 Airbus A380s on order with plans to operate them on popular routes, especially in slot-constrained airports.

With a customised interior meeting the high demands specifications of Qatar Airways, the airline’s new A380s will undoubtedly be the talk of passengers and aviation enthusiasts around the world when they enter service, expected in spring 2014.

The release of the photo comes ahead of the Paris Air Show, one of the world’s biggest aerospace events, taking place in Le Bourget in the French capital next week with Qatar Airways having a strong presence at the event starting on June 17th.

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker summed up the emotions of seeing the new aircraft in the company’s livery.

“The Oryx is a symbol of grace and symbolises Qatar’s traditions and to see it decorating the tail of one of the world’s most advanced aircraft should be a source of pride for our people and our country,” he said.

“Seeing this image for the first time gives me great pride as Qatar Airways prepares to look forward to our newest aircraft type, the world’s biggest, joining our fleet next year.”