Aircraft

Pictures have emerged over the weekend of the first high gross weight (HGW) variant of the Airbus A340-600 in the new livery of launch customer Qatar Airways.

The aircraft was photographed on 3 June at around 13:00 exiting the Airbus facility in Toulouse (pictured below). The Rolls-Royce Trent 500-powered A340-600HGW has an all-up weight of 380,000kg (836,000lb) and has been in flight testing in Toulouse since March.

© Yannick Delamarre / French Frogs AirSlides

The aircraft (F-WWCP) is set to be delivered to the Doha-based carrier next month ahead of a likely entry into service on denser routes such as to London Heathrow.

The aircraft also features the first onboard business lounge area, located between first and business class. The 2.4m- (7ft 11in)-long lounge area, which was unveiled as a mock-up at the ITB travel fair in Berlin in early March, features a stand-up bar, teak wooden tables and leather sofas for six people, and is separated from the first-class cabin by a divider.