Delivery of the first A350-1000 – the longest-fuselage version of Airbus’ A350 XWB jetliner – is planned before year-end following the aircraft’s Type Certification by the European and US airworthiness authorities.

This milestone occurred less than one year after the A350-1000’s maiden flight on November 24, 2016 from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, where the A350 XWB final assembly line is located.

With its airworthiness Type Certificate approval – formally presented today by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – Airbus is targeting the first A350-1000 delivery before year-end to launch operator Qatar Airways.

High commonality between the A350-1000 and A350-900

More than half of the major A350 XWB customers have ordered both the A350-1000 and the shorter-fuselage A350-900 versions, which is the case for Qatar Airways (acquiring 37 A350-1000s, along with 39 A350-900 versions).

Demonstrating the A350 XWB Family’s flexibility, the A350-1000 and A350-900 feature a high level of commonality – with 95 per cent common system part numbers. Like the A350-900, the A350-1000 is the latest member of Airbus’ leading widebody family; it brings together the very latest in aerodynamics, design and advanced technologies as well as new levels of operational efficiency and passenger comfort. Differences with the A350-1000 version include higher-thrust Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines and enhanced main landing gears with six wheels.

The A350-1000’s seven-metre-longer fuselage translates into greater capacity, accommodating 366 passengers in standard 3-class configuration. This is 40+ more seats than the A350-900, responding to market needs for larger cabin zones with premium-type seats. With its additional passenger-carrying capacity and its same range as the A350-900, the A350-1000 is well suited for some of the airline industry’s busiest long-haul routes.

To date 11 customers from five continents have ordered a total of 169 A350-1000s. Combined bookings for both the A350-1000 and A350-900 stood at 858 from 45 customers as of 31 October. The A350-900 first entered airline service in January 2015; today more than 120 of these jetliners have been delivered to operators around the world. – TradeArabia News Service