Tag Archives: Airbus A350

Airbus delivers the first Airbus A350 to Qatar Airways

Airbus (Toulouse) today (December 22) delivered the first Airbus A350 to launch customer Qatar Airways (Doha). The pictured A350-941 A7-ALA (msn 006, ex F-WZFA) was handed over in a ceremony at Toulouse. Airbus issued this statement and photos:

Airbus has delivered the first A350 XWB, the world’s latest generation widebody airliner, to launch customer Qatar Airways. The A350 XWB redefines the way people fly for the coming decades and opens up a new era in comfortable, efficient long-haul air travel when it enters service with Qatar Airways, renowned for leading the industry to new heights in service excellence.

The A350 XWB embodies the most advanced technologies and breakthrough innovations in aerodynamics, light-weight materials and aircraft systems. Powered by ultra-fuel-efficient and very quiet Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines and an extra-wide, bright and spacious cabin, the A350 XWB promises to be a firm favourite with travellers who will discover a whole new way of flying. Airlines will also benefit from unequalled levels of operating efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, “Receiving the A350 XWB as global launch customer is a very proud moment for Qatar Airways, and after much anticipation, I am delighted that the day has come when we will welcome this latest generation aircraft into our rapidly expanding fleet.

“In the seven years since we first placed our order for this new aircraft type at the Paris Air Show, investing in a partnership programme with Airbus, there has been significant growth in the airline industry. I am confident that this increase in passenger numbers around the world will only increase further in the years to come, and delighted that Qatar Airways will be leading the way in the aviation sector in offering our passengers the opportunity to travel on board the most modern of airliners in the sky.”

John Rishton, Rolls-Royce, Chief Executive Officer said: “We are very proud to have worked with Qatar Airways and Airbus on the A350 XWB, using the latest technology to deliver new standards in customer service. This is a very important day for everyone at Rolls-Royce. It is the culmination of years of hard work and the start of a new chapter for our business.”

Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO said: “Handing over the first A350 XWB represents a significant step in Airbus and aviation history. The A350 XWB becomes the most modern aircraft in service, developed with our excellence established over 45 years in meeting our customers’ needs. The A350 XWB is the latest Airbus aircraft to join the skies, revolutionising our industry and redefining the way people fly.” He adds: “It is with tremendous pride that we are delivering our first A350 XWB today to our launch customer, Qatar Airways. It’s a perfect match, to be handing over the first of an all-new, world class aircraft to a leading, world class airline.”

Photos: Airbus.

Qatar Airways aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia-3/Airlines-Asia3-QZ/Qatar-Airways

Video: Follow the initial Airbus A350-900 aircraft for global launch customer Qatar Airways through the manufacturing process – from delivery of components to the final assembly line in Toulouse, France to its maiden flight in autumn 2014. The video also highlights the “Xtra” that makes the difference for this Airbus next-generation widebody jetliner – including its spacious and comfortable cabin, use of advanced composite materials along with the aircraft’s highly-efficient and quiet Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

Airbus to deliver the first Airbus A350-900 to Qatar Airways on Monday

Qatar Airways (Doha) will now take delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 on Monday, December 22. Apparently the previous unspecified issues that delayed the original handover date have been worked out. Qatar Airways will now receive the pictured A350-941 F-WZFA/A7-ALA (msn 006) on Monday as the launch customer of the new type and the first airline to take delivery.

Airbus issued this statement:

The historic delivery of Airbus’ first A350 XWB – which is to be received on December 22 by launch customer Qatar Airways – will mark another major milestone for this advanced widebody jetliner that is setting new standards in terms of passenger comfort, operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The A350 XWB program has been particularly busy during 2014 as Airbus and other stakeholders worked toward the headline-making initial handover. This activity was highlighted by the continuation and completion of A350-900 flight testing; which was followed by Type Certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), received in September and November, respectively.
Lasting just over 14 months, which is an industry record, the A350-900 flight test and certification programme comprised a five-aircraft fleet which performed over 2,600 flight hours in total. During this campaign, Airbus successfully completed the certification trials which took the airframe and its systems beyond their design limits to ensure airworthiness criteria are fully met.

The remarkable fuel-efficiency is the product of cutting-edge technology. More than two-thirds of this jetliner’s airframe is made from composite materials, titanium and advanced aluminium alloys. The fuselage and wings are built from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic. The latest aerodynamics sharpen the A350’s operational efficiency, while its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines use the most advanced propulsion technology.

At the end of November 2014, the A350 XWB had logged 778 firm orders from 41 customers worldwide. To meet this demand, Airbus is ramping up production progressively to reach the planned rate of 10 aircraft per month by 2018.

Video:

Finnair’s first Airbus A350-900 takes shape

Finnair (Helsinki) in the fall of 2015 will take delivery of its first Airbus A350, specially the pictured A350-941 (msn 018).

Airbus has issued this picture and short message:

The first A350-900 for Finnair is taking shape in the Roger Béteille Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France. Finnair will be the first European airline to fly the A350 XWB and the third operator in the world. Scheduled for delivery in autumn 2015 the aircraft is now in the fuselage section joining phase.

Following this, the aircraft will move to wing junction, cabin installation and first power-on, all achieved in one single station. Once these phases are completed, the aircraft will undergo system tests, cabin completion, painting and engine installation before starting the delivery process, including flight testing.

Finnair has a total of 19 A350 XWB on order. The aircraft will be deployed on Finnair’s long-haul routes to Asia and America.

Photo: Airbus.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

Finnair firms up its options for eight Airbus A350s, will trade in four A340-300s

Finnair (Helsinki) has firmed up the eight Airbus A350 XWB aircraft options in its 2006 A350 order placed with Airbus. The eight A350s will be delivered to Finnair starting in 2018. The firm up of the options increases the total number of Finnair’s A350 orders to 19.

Finnair’s current long-haul fleet consists of seven Airbus A340 aircraft and eight A330 aircraft. The long-haul fleet is planned to grow, on average, by one new-generation energy-efficient aircraft per year between 2016 and 2020. Based on the current delivery schedule of A350s, Finnair will receive the first four aircraft in the second half of 2015, seven A350s between 2016 and 2017, and eight A350s between 2018 and 2023. Finnair plans to phase out its A340 aircraft by the end of 2017, following the successful delivery and entry into service of A350 XWB. As a part of the deal Airbus has also agreed to acquire four Airbus A340-300 aircraft currently owned by Finnair in 2016 and 2017.

Top Image: Airbus.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

Video:

Qatar Airways delays the delivery of the first Airbus A350

Qatar Airways (Doha) has delayed “indefinitely” the delivery of the first Airbus A350-900. According to AFP an Airbus spokesperson stated “We are working very closely with Qatar Airways to meet our common goal to deliver the first A350 XWB very soon”. No reason for the delay was given. The delivery of the first Airbus A380 was also delayed previously.

Qatar Airways and Airbus (Toulouse) had previously announced the delivery of the first of its 80 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft was set to take place in Toulouse, France, on Saturday, December 13. The pictured A350-941 F-WZFA (msn 006) was due to be handed over as A7-ALA.

The first commercial service was due to be on the Doha-Frankfurt route starting on January 15, 2015 but this is now delayed.

Qatar Airways aircraft slide show:

Qatar Airways to take delivery of the first Airbus A350-900 on December 13

Qatar Airways (Doha) and Airbus (Toulouse) have announced the highly anticipated date of the official delivery of the first of its 80 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft on order, set to take place in Toulouse, France, on Saturday, December 13. The pictured A350-941 F-WZFA (msn 006) will be handed over as A7-ALA.

The first commercial service will be deployed on the Doha-Frankfurt route starting on January 15, 2015.

Over 70 percent of the A350 XWB’s weight-efficient airframe is made from advanced materials combining composites (53 percent), titanium and advanced aluminium alloys. The aircraft’s innovative all-new Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) fuselage results in lower fuel burn as well as easier maintenance.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 17 years of operation, to the point where today it is flying a modern fleet of 142 aircraft to 145 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Top Photo: Airbus.

Qatar Airways aircraft slide show:

Video: A sneak preview of the Qatar Airbus A350:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com.

Video: Five A350 XWBs together in flight

From Airbus: The five test and development A350-900s took to the skies for a formation flight in September 2014, bringing together all of the aircraft used for Airbus’ successful campaign leading to certification of this latest Airbus widebody jetliner

Finnair firms up an order for eight additional Airbus A350-900s

Finnair (Helsinki), a launch customer for the A350 XWB, has signed an agreement, firming up the order for eight additional Airbus A350-900s. Finnair was the first airline to select the A350 XWB and will be the first European airline in the autumn of 2015 to receive the all new Airbus widebody. Finnair’s A350 XWBs will seat 297 passengers in a two class configuration. The aircraft will be deployed on Finnair’s long-haul routes to Asia and America.

Finnair currently operates an all Airbus fleet of 45 aircraft (30 A320 Family aircraft and 15 A330s/A340s).

As mentioned, Finnair was launch customer of the A350, and in 2007 placed an order for 11 A350-900s, including an option for further eight. This agreement brings the total committed order to 19 A350-900s.

Image: Airbus.

Finnair aircraft slide show:

It’s official: Delta orders Airbus A350-900s and A330-900neos

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) has issued this statement concerning its wide body fleet renewal decision:

Delta has chosen the Airbus A350-900 and A330-900neo to replace older generation Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft starting in 2017 and 2019, respectively.

The order for 25 state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft and 25 advanced Airbus A330-900neo aircraft fits within Delta’s existing capacity and capital expenditure plan and continues the airline’s focus on making prudent, cost-effective investments in its fleet.

“Delta always approaches fleet decisions with a balance of economic efficiency, customer experience enhancements, network integration and total cost of ownership,” said Nat Pieper, Delta’s Vice President – Fleet Strategy and Transactions. “The A350 and A330neo support our long-haul, transoceanic strategy and join a mix of Boeing and Airbus aircraft that provide exceptional flexibility for Delta’s global network as well as strong cash-on-cash returns for our shareholders.”

Airbus A350-900

The long-range Airbus A350-900 will continue Delta’s optimization of its Pacific network, operating primarily on long-range routes between the U.S. and Asia. The jets are expected to generate a 20 percent improvement in operating cost per seat compared to the Boeing 747-400 aircraft they will replace. Delta will take delivery of the A350 beginning in the second quarter of 2017.

The A350-900 will be powered by two fuel-efficient Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines.

Airbus A330neo (A330-900)

The widebody A330-900neo, an enhancement of Airbus’ successful A330 family featuring greater aerodynamic and economic efficiency, will be deployed on medium-haul trans-Atlantic markets as well as select routes connecting the U.S. West Coast and Asia. The aircraft are scheduled to enter the Delta fleet in 2019 and will deliver a 20 percent operating cost savings per seat over the Boeing 767-300ER aircraft it will replace.

The A330neo features the Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engine which is built with similar technology to the Trent XWB on the Airbus A350.

Delta began a structured fleet renewal in 2011 with the selection of new Boeing 737-900ER aircraft along with Boeing 717s and two-class Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets, and continued it with transactions for Airbus A321 and A330 aircraft. Those aircraft are replacing inefficient older technology airplanes, generating substantial cost improvement and increased customer satisfaction. The airline continues to invest in the onboard product and amenities available to customers on its entire domestic and international fleet including installation of transoceanic satellite in-flight Wi-Fi, Delta Studio featuring a library of free streaming programming as well as more than 1,000 on-demand movies, television shows and music on large, high-definition seatback monitors, and other service improvements.

Read the analysis from Bloomberg Businessweek: CLICK HERE

Images: Airbus.

Delta Air Lines (current livery) aircraft slide show:

The new Airbus A350-900 receives its FAA Type Certificate

Airbus (Toulouse) has announced the new A350-900 received its Type Certification on November 12 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (Washington).

FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Peggy Gilligan and Airbus Group Inc. Chairman Allan McArtor were among the signing authorities at the official ceremony. The certified aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. This milestone follows the A350-900 Type Certification awarded by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on September 30.

According to Airbus, “The A350-900’s respective FAA and EASA certification awards come after Airbus successfully finished a stringent program of certification trials which took the A350-900 airframe and systems well beyond their design limits to ensure all airworthiness criteria are fully met. The fleet of five test A350-900 aircraft completed the certification flight test campaign, on time, having accumulated more than 2,600 flight test hours to create and successfully achieve one of the aviation industry’s most thorough and efficient test programs ever developed for a commercial airliner.”

Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. One of the five test aircraft, the pictured A350-941 F-WZNW (msn 004), wears partial Qatar Airways markings at Farnborough where it was showcased. Qatar Airways will be the first airline to take delivery of the new type.

Qatar Airways aircraft slide show: