Qatar Airways has announced that London is the first route for the world’s first commercial service of its Airbus A350-1000.

The Gulf carrier is the global launch customer for the state-of-the-art-aircraft, following delivery by Airbus from the aircraft manufacturer’s base in Toulouse, France last Tuesday.

The world’s first A350-1000 XWB embarked upon its first commercial service to the UK capital earlier, as QR 15, landing at London’s Heathrow Airport at 20:25.

The A350-1000 will operate a daily non-stop service between Doha and London.

Qatar Airways chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We have chosen London as the inaugural destination for this remarkable aircraft because at 23 feet longer than the A350-900, it is able to provide a significant increase in capacity on one of our most popular routes, offering enhanced levels of comfort for our passengers.

“For the first time in an Airbus aircraft, it will also feature our award-winning, patented Qsuite, offering a first-class experience in business class for both business and leisure travellers.

“As one of our flagship routes, we provide our passengers with the most advanced aircraft to fly in comfort and style from Doha to London.

“Our new A350-1000 provides this in abundance, alongside its sister aircraft, the A350-900, the double-decker A380 as well as the Boeing Dreamliner and the Qsuite-fitted Boeing 777.

“We look forward to introducing this highly-impressive next-generation aircraft to many other cities, thanks to our extensive and rapidly expanding global route network.”

Qatar Airways offers six flights a day between Doha and London, providing a fast and frequent connection between the two capital cities.