Spanish flag carrier, Iberia, also a member of IAG, has taken delivery of the first of its 16 A350-900 XWB on order. While it is the 18th carrier overall to operate the new generate aircraft, MSN219 is the first A350-900 to feature the latest performance improvement package (PIP) including a wing twist, extended winglets and increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) …
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Singapore Airlines (SIA) will re-launch the world’s longest commercial flights in October. The service will see the airline flying the new Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Range) between Singapore and New York’s Newark Liberty International Airport. The airline previously operated the world’s longest and second longest routes, Singapore – New York and Singapore – Los Angeles respectively with a fleet of …
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Middle eastern carrier Qatar airways has taken delivery of it’s first Airbus A350-1000. The airline which was the launch customer of the A350 is also the first to operate the new type. The aircraft’s first flight will be to London Heathrow this weekend. The -1000’s will soon be deployed to the US east coast. The aircraft MSN 88 will be …
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On my trip back from the US, I was originally booked to fly with Etihad. However the lack luster experience I had with them on my last flight and the horrible response from the customer care, I changed my booking onto Qatar airways. The middle east ban seems to have had an positive (for passengers) effect on Qatar’s award availability …
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German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa has commenced operations on the Mumbai Munich route using the newest aircraft in the world today, the Airbus A350-900 XWB (Xtra Wide Body). With this, Lufthansa is operating the modern airliner on both its India routes. It had commenced A350-900 operations on the Munich New Delhi Munich route in February. Munich is the primary hub …
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The first Airbus A350-1000, the longest variant of the A350 family of widebody aircraft performed its first flight, at Toulouse, France, yesterday. The six person crew took MSN059 into the skies at 09:42 UTC. Test pilots Hugues van der Stichel and Frank Chapman, in cockpit flight test engineer Gerard Maisonneuve, flight test engineers Emanuele Costanzo, Patrick du Che, and Stephane …
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British carrier Virgin Atlantic has announced an order for 12 Airbus A350-1000s. The order is worth $4.4 billion at list prices, though airlines get a substantial discount. Eight of 12 ordered aircraft will be purchased and balance four will be leased. The Virgin A350’s will be powered by British made Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The -1000 is the longest variant …
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Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific that operates an all wide-body fleet has unveiled its first Airbus A350 XWB, thus becoming the sixth operator in the world and the third in Asia, after Vietnam Airlines and Singapore Airlines. The airline has a total of 21 A350-900s on order, 12 of which are expected to be delivered this year. The A350-900 has …
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As Singapore Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 XWB, it announced it was the first airline to introduce an app which enables passenger to pre-select their choices on its KrisWorld In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system ahead of boarding the aircraft. Receives first A350 XWB The airline’s first A350 arrived at Singapore’s Changi airport to the traditional water cannon salute …
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Jaime J. Bautista, President & COO of national carrier Philippine Airlines and Fabrice Brégier, President & CEO of European airframer Airbus announced that the two companies have signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) for the order of six A350-900s, with options to purchase up to an additional six planes. The aircraft which will be used primarily on long distance North …
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European airframer Airbus has begun final assembly of the first A350-1000 at the A350 XWB Final Assembly Line (FAL) at Toulouse, France. The A350-1000 is the largest variant in the current A350 XWB family, the A350-1000, measuring nearly 74 meters from nose to tail. It will seat 366 passengers in a typical 3-class configuration. The aircraft is intended to replace …
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Ahead of the Dubai airshow, Airbus has announced that it will use the A350’s distinctive cockpit windscreen design on the A330neo. Eric Zanin, Head of A330 programme, Airbus “The A330neo complement the A350 XWB in the new Airbus Long-Range family, so it was only natural that the A330neo should have the same cockpit shades design than its larger sibling” The …
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Singapore Airlines which just two days ago announced re-commencement of the world’s longest non-stop flights using the new generation Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft has seen its first A350-900 exit the Airbus paint-shop at Toulouse. The aircraft which will be registered as 9V-SMA is expected to be delivered in January 2016. The 9V-SMx series was given to the Boeing 747-400 Megatops that …
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Finnair has taken delivery of it’s first A350 XWB. The carrier is first European operator and the third worldwide after Qatar Airways and Vietnam Airlines to operate the new aircraft. The aircraft is configured in a three-class layout with 297 seats, comprising 46 Business Class, 43 Economy Comfort and 208 Economy. This is the first A350 out of a 19 …
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National carrier Vietnam Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A350 XWB, thus becoming the second airline in the world, after launch customer Qatar Airways, to operate the new generation aircraft. The airline has 10 A350 on direct order with the European airframer, and four with aircraft leasing companies. At a special ceremony in Toulouse, the A350-900 was officially delivered …
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Vietnam Airlines is due to become the first Asian airline and second carrier globally, after launch customer Qatar Airways to operate the Airbus A350 XWB. The first of the airline’s 14 ordered A350-900 completed its first flight in Toulouse, France yesterday. Vietnam Airlines has a very recognisable blue and gold livery which looks good on the new aircraft. The aircraft …
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This second article in our launch customer series will be on the launch customers of all Airbus aircraft. We have also included the predicted launch customers of some aircraft in this list. Airbus A300 Family A300B2-100 Air France A300B2-200 South African Airways A300B4-100 Germanair A300B4-200 Hapag-Lloyd Flug A300B4-200FF Garuda Indonesia A300C4 South African Airways A300-600 Saudi Arabian Airlines A300-600R American …
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Airbus has delivered the first A350 XWB to launch customer Qatar Airways. The aircraft which bears the registration A7-ALA is the sixth A350 to have been made and is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines which are the exclusive engines for the A350. Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways Group “Receiving the A350 XWB as global launch customer is …
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European airframer Airbus has announced 22nd December 2014 as the delivery date of it’s first Airbus A350-900 to Qatar Airways. The airline had been scheduled to take delivery of the new widebody jet on the 13th of December, but had indefinitely postponed the delivery without any official explanation. The airline has a history of late deliveries, many of which are …
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Launch customer Qatar Airways will take delivery of the world’s first A350 XWB from Airbus on December 13, 2014, in Toulouse, France. The airline has 80 A350s on order with the European airframer. The A350 will be first deployed in to commercial service on the Doha Frankfurt route in January 2015. The A350 XWB is Airbus’s response to Boeing 787 …
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