Airbus has announced from its production facility in Toulouse, France that a new A350-900 destined for Philippine Airlines has taken its first flight as part of the final production process. The aircraft will be ready for delivery within the next few weeks.
This is the first of six A350-900s, or XWBs on order – XWB standing for Extra-wide Body – which will be used by the Philippine flag carrier for long-haul services from Manila to North America and Europe. The six jets will join Philippine Airline’s existing Airbus fleet comprising 26 A320 Family aircraft, 15 A330s and five A340s.
The A350 XWB is the first Airbus jet whose fuselage and wing structures are made predominantly out of carbon fiber reinforced polymer, the current version using new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. When combined with its latest aerodynamic design, the operational efficiency now runs at a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions, while significantly reducing maintenance costs.
According to Airbus, the A350 XWB “features an Airspace cabin which, on top of the aircraft spaciousness and quietness, provides better ambience, design and services, contributing to superior levels of comfort and well-being, and setting new standards in terms of flight experience for all passengers.”
The A350 XWB has two variants, the A350-900 and A350-1,000 with seat capacity varying between 280 and 366 passengers in a three-class configuration. The A350 900 entered into service with Qatar Airways in June 2015, and the A350-1000 entered into service with the same carrier in February this year.
As of the end of May this year, total orders of the A350-900 stand at 679 with 173 delivered, and orders for the A350-1000 stand at 168 with one delivered. Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Singapore airlines are the principal operators of the A350 XWB with over 20 of the aircraft each in service.
