18-Jan-2017 11:09 AM

Airbus: A350 XWB: six million passengers flown… and counting

Direct News Source

17-Jan-2017 Just two years after the A350 XWB's commercial service entry, over six million passengers already have enjoyed the unique flying experience and well-being provided by Airbus' latest-generation widebody jetliner - which is shaping the future of long-haul airline operations.

The 62 A350 XWBs in airline service at the end of December 2016 had accumulated 154,000-plus flight hours on more than 25,000 flights, with an average daily utilisation of 12.5 hours.

These aircraft are operated by a growing customer base that currently includes: Qatar Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Finnair, LATAM, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Ethiopian Airlines, Thai Airways International (THAI), China Airlines and Lufthansa.

The A350 XWB version in service today is the A350-900, seating 325 passengers in a standard three-class configuration and offering a flight range of up to 8,100 nautical miles. It will be joined by the longer fuselage A350-1000 - accommodating 366 passengers in a typical three-class cabin layout, with a range of 7,950 nautical miles - which is scheduled for its entry in airline service during the second half of 2017. Both aircraft share the same levels of comfort and operational efficiency.