Emirates receives its first A350
Emirates Airline received (25-Nov-2024) the first A350 (A6-EXA) of 65 to be delivered in the coming years. The delivery marks the first new aircraft type to join the Emirates fleet since 2008. The aircraft will be ferried from Toulouse to Dubai, where it will receive finishing touches at Emirates Engineering. The aircraft will officially enter commercial service in Jan-2025 on service to Edinburgh, followed by eight other destinations across the Middle East, West Asia and Europe. [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Emirates Airline had invested USD48 million in training for its crew in anticipation of the A350's arrival, including simulators and other training devices, with plans to expand premium economy seating to 42 destinations by Feb-20251 2. The airline faced delays in receiving its A350s, originally scheduled for Aug-2024 but later pushed to Nov-2024, and had to extend the lifespan of some aircraft to mitigate these delays3 4.