Qatar Airways will fly its new A350 between Doha and Frankfurt.
Qatar Airways will fly its new A350 between Doha and Frankfurt.
The A350-XWB (for extra widebody) will come in three varieties: the A350-800, -900, and -1000, which will seat 276, 315, and 369 passengers, respectively.
The A350-XWB (for extra widebody) will come in three varieties: the A350-800, -900, and -1000, which will seat 276, 315, and 369 passengers, respectively.
Passengers will sit six or seven abreast in business class, and nine or 10 across in economy, depending on how the airline decides to set up the seats.
Passengers will sit six or seven abreast in business class, and nine or 10 across in economy, depending on how the airline decides to set up the seats.
The A350's in-air testing program began in June 2013, when it flew for the first time.
The A350's in-air testing program began in June 2013, when it flew for the first time.
The test program included zapping the plane with electricity to simulate an in-air lightning strike.
The test program included zapping the plane with electricity to simulate an in-air lightning strike.
By now, the five planes in the test fleet have logged 2,500 hours in the air.
By now, the five planes in the test fleet have logged 2,500 hours in the air.
Components that go into the A350 are sent to Airbus plants in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. Those plants produce the big parts of the plane, including the fuselage, wings, engines, and tail.
Components that go into the A350 are sent to Airbus plants in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. Those plants produce the big parts of the plane, including the fuselage, wings, engines, and tail.
Those chunks are then sent to Toulouse, where they're assembled into a finished aircraft.
Those chunks are then sent to Toulouse, where they're assembled into a finished aircraft.
The original design of the A350 called for the use of the lithium ion batteries that are prone to overheating and caused major problems for Boeing's Dreamliner. Those troubles led Airbus to make the switch to more proven nickel cadmium batteries.
The original design of the A350 called for the use of the lithium ion batteries that are prone to overheating and caused major problems for Boeing's Dreamliner. Those troubles led Airbus to make the switch to more proven nickel cadmium batteries.
Airbus gave back some of the weight savings it gained from the use of composites to make bigger windows. The A350, it says, has the widest in the industry.
Airbus gave back some of the weight savings it gained from the use of composites to make bigger windows. The A350, it says, has the widest in the industry.
The "winglets" on the tips of the wings measure 17 feet and are designed to improve the plane's aerodynamics.
The "winglets" on the tips of the wings measure 17 feet and are designed to improve the plane's aerodynamics.
In October 2014, the A350-900 was certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency to stray as far as 370 minutes from the nearest airport. That means it can take the most direct routes between distant cities.
In October 2014, the A350-900 was certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency to stray as far as 370 minutes from the nearest airport. That means it can take the most direct routes between distant cities.
The delivery of the first A350 to Qatar Airways was part of a celebration that included a dramatic reveal and musical performances.
The delivery of the first A350 to Qatar Airways was part of a celebration that included a dramatic reveal and musical performances.
Airbus threw one hell of a party at its HQ in Toulouse, France, with speeches, a trophy exchange, performances by an opera singer and an orchestra, and even a calligrapher. It was a bit over-the-top, especially when you consider Monday’s bash was thrown for … the first passenger-ready Airbus A350-XWB.
After a decade in development, Airbus’ answer to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was delivered to its first customer, Qatar Airways. The world’s newest commercial airliner comes three years after the Dreamliner, and like that plane is made mostly of composite material to cut weight and reduce fuel costs for airlines. And both are designed with passengers in mind, as well, with bigger windows and wider and taller cabins.
Monday’s delivery caps a process that started in December 2004, when Airbus officially approved plans to to design a new plane from scratch. The plane handed over to Qatar Airways is the sixth A350 Airbus has produced. The first five were part of the company’s largest test fleet yet and collectively have spent some 2,500 hours aloft since the first flight in June, 2013.
Boeing’s taken more than 1,000 orders for the Dreamliner and delivered more than 165. But the plane was marred by a series of problems with its lithium-ion batteries and a three-month, global grounding of the fleet in early 2013. Now that the A350 is ready to start transporting paying customers, we’ll get to see how it really compares.
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