Qatar Airways’ Qsuite business-class suite has gained much acclaim since it was first revealed in 2018, created in collaboration with Collins Aerospace and PriestmanGoode, with flexible configurations that enable passengers to customise the space to suit their desired experience, whether private or social.
The airline says it is the finest business-class experience to be found on any airline, and it has enhanced the design to create ‘Qsuite Next Gen’, which was revealed at this week’s Farnborough International Airshow.
Qatar Airways plans to introduce the suites on its incoming Boeing 777-9 aircraft, which it hopes to receive by 2025. The airline is launch customer for the 777X, and at the airshow the airline also expanded its existing 777X aircraft order with Boeing for an additional 20 aircraft, for a total of 94 777Xs. Earlier this month, Boeing began certification flight testing for the 777-9.
The Qsuite Next Gen, now made in partnership with Adient Aerospace, is intended to offer an optimised experience for a wide range of passengers, from solo business travellers, to leisure travellers, to families, to couples wishing a double bed. The most versatile of the Qsuite options, the Quad Suite, has four seats, with central privacy screens that can be repositioned to the side to create a large social or productivity space, whether two, three or four of the occupants wish to share the experience.
The redesigned screens (which now fold rather than slide) are now higher and are equipped with movable 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova IFE displays. There is also increased space for guests to dine together, which is a hallmark of Qatari heritage – and enjoyable for most.
A highlight of the Qsuite Next Gen is the Companion Suite, a new design for the outboard window seats. Configured fore and aft, the dividers between these seats can also now be repositioned to the side to create a shared space for two people, facing each other.
Whether in a Quad Suite or Companion Suite, passengers will enjoy increased space, increased privacy with the higher walls, larger lie-flat beds, and a turn-down service. They can also access new technologies for enhanced convenience and connectivity, with customisation options ranging from ambient lighting to privacy controls, through the upgraded touchscreen Passenger Control Units.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer was in good spirits at the reveal in Farnborough, where he joked: “we are happy and sad at the same time: happy to know that something that we developed years ago is still the benchmark in our industry, and sad because we were expecting someone else to come and raise the benchmark for the satisfaction of our customers… however, our team decided to take matters in their own hands. They decided to raise the benchmark once again.”
