[182] It burned 101.4 t (224,000 lb) of fuel to cover the route in 17 h 22 min: an average of 5.8 tonnes per hour (1.6 kg/s). No freighter variant of the A350 has been announced, but Airbus has specifically stated that it has envisioned an A350 freighter from the beginning design stages, so the DNA for a freighter variant is “baked in” to the design. [183], At the 2015 Dubai Air Show, John Leahy noted the demand of the Middle Eastern Gulf airlines for this variant. [194] The A350 Type Certificate Data Sheet includes MTOWs of 217, 235, 240, 250, 255, 260, 268, 272, 275, 277, 278 and 280 t.[195], An A350-900 freighter was first mentioned in 2007, offering a similar capacity to the MD11-F with a range of 9,250 km (4,990 nmi), to be developed after the passenger version. Flight-tests after engine installation checked the larger fuel capacity and measured the performance improvements from the extended winglets. It has a standard design range target of 15,000 km (8,100 nmi). [16][17] In April 2006, while reviewing bids for the Boeing 787 and A350, CEO of Singapore Airlines (SIA) Chew Choon Seng, commented that "having gone through the trouble of designing a new wing, tail, cockpit... [Airbus] should have gone the whole hog and designed a new fuselage. Since its introduction in 2013, flyers around the world have enjoyed many of the plane’s passenger-friendly features. It is far more likely that the A350’s initial impact on the cargo market will come through belly freight – as the 777-300ER has had a significant impact, so will the A350-900 and A350-1000. [151] In late 2015, A350 XWB msn. [59], Airbus manufactured the first structural component in December 2009. [206] In February 2016, final assembly started at the A350 Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. The A350 features new composite wings with a wingspan that is common to the proposed variants. [10] [21][22] One such proposal, known internally as "1d", formed the basis of the A350 redesign. In May 2009, GE said that if it were to reach a deal with Airbus to offer the current 787-optimised GEnx for the A350, it would only power the -800 and -900 variants. In the nine-abreast, 3–3–3 standard economy layout, the A350 seat will be 45 cm (18 in) wide, 1.27 cm (0.5 in) wider than a seat in the equivalent layout in the 787,[111] and 3.9 cm (1.5 in) wider than a seat in the equivalent A330 layout. Visit delta.com to learn more. On 2 June 2013, the Trent XWB engines were powered up on the A350 for the first time. [87], In service, problems occurred in three areas. [2] Airbus's chief test pilot said, "it just seemed really happy in the air...all the things we were testing had no major issues at all. [87], By the end of May 2016, the in-service fleet had flown 55,200 hours over 9,400 cycles at a 97.8% operational reliability on three months. Airbus confirmed that the flight test programme would last 12 months and use five test aircraft. Airbus initially rejected Boeing's claim that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner would be a serious threat to the Airbus A330, stating that the 787 was just a reaction to the A330 and that no response was needed. Over 250 have been assembled so far, with many more to come. In 2010, after low-speed wind tunnel tests, Airbus finalised the static thrust at sea level for all three proposed variants to the 74,000–94,000 lbf (330–420 kN) range. Class of travel Royal Silk Class : 32 Economy Class : 289. As market support was inadequate, in 2006, Airbus switched to a clean-sheet "XWB" (eXtra Wide Body) design, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB turbofan engines. The A350 was designed to be a direct competitor to the Boeing 787-9 and 777-200ER. [215] It was delivered on 20 February[216] and entered commercial service on Qatar Airways' Doha to London Heathrow route on 24 February. [143] That could reach 420 min later,[144] although Airbus achieved a 370–minute ETOPS rating on 15 October 2014 which covers 99.7% of the Earth's surface. [66], The production rate was expected to rise from three aircraft per month in early 2015 to five at the end of 2015, and would ramp to ten aircraft per month by 2018. [51], In January 2008, French-based Thales Group won a US$2.9 billion (€2 billion) 20-year contract to supply avionics and navigation equipment for the A350 XWB, beating Honeywell and Rockwell Collins. It seats 350-410 passengers in a typical three-class layout with a range of 8,700 nmi (16,100 km). [118][138] Airbus stated that the benefits includes reduced maintenance and lower weight because as the IMA replaces multiple processors and LRUs with around 50% fewer standard computer modules known as line-replaceable modules. The flight deck of the A350-900 was designed to be easy for pilots to learn how to control. The upper shell radius of the nose section has been increased. [9], The original A350 design was publicly criticised by two of Airbus's largest customers, International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). LATAM Airlines had the longest average sector at 10.7 hours, and Asiana had the shortest at 3.8 hours. The nose gear is supplied by Liebherr Aerospace.[123]. This A350-900 is the first aircraft to be produced by Airbus for the airline and features a special A350 logo on the fuselage. The avionics software adaptation is activated by a push and pull button to avoid mistakes and could be retrofitted in the smaller -900. After facing criticism for maintenance costs,[37] Airbus confirmed in early September 2007 the adoption of composite fuselage frames for the aircraft structure. [80] Later that month Airbus received regulatory approval for a Common Type Rating for pilot training between the A350 XWB and A330. 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