Qatar Airways, the global launch customer of the A350 XWB, has chosen Philadelphia to be the first destination it will fly to in the USA using the aircraft.

Qatar Airways plans to begin operating an A350 on its daily service from Doha’s Hamad International Airport to Philadelphia International Airport from 1st January 2016. The date will coincide with the launch of services to Los Angeles, one of three new Qatar Airways destinations in the US for 2016.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker said: “We are very pleased to announce the launch of our first A350 service to the United States. Philadelphia is the sixth largest metropolitan area in the USA and is an important international business hub that is home to seven Fortune 1000 companies.”

Starting in March the A350 will fly on one daily flight to New York and also to Boston; meaning three of Qatar Airways’ US destinations will all be served by the A350. Qatar Airways now operates 47 passenger flights a week between the US and Doha.