Airbus Readies A350 XWB For First Customer Qatar Airways

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Airbus Readies A350 XWB For First Customer Qatar Airways

October 3, 2014 - The first A350 XWB for Qatar Airways is progressing towards delivery before year end. The aircraft equipped with Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines rolled out of the Airbus factory in Toulouse fully painted, prominently bearing Qatar Airways’ livery.

Following the recent EASA Type Certification, the Qatar Airways A350-900 is now entering into its final stage of production during which Airbus and the airline teams are actively working together in order to ensure a seamless hand-over process.

The remaining steps up to delivery comprise notably the cabin completion as well as ground and flight tests. The A350 XWB is Airbus’ all-new mid-size long range product line and the newest member of Airbus' widebody family.

The Airbus A350 XWB is a family of long-range, twin-engine wide-body jet airliners developed by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The A350 is the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer.

The A350 can carry 250 to 350 passengers in a typical three-class seating layout, or maximum seating of 440 to 550 passengers, depending on variant. The A350 is positioned as a successor to the A330 and A340, competing with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and 777 series.

The A350 was originally conceived in 2004 with new aerodynamics and engines while having a fuselage based on the A330. This was rejected by some prospective customers. In 2006, Airbus redesigned the aircraft and renamed it the A350 XWB (extra wide body). The launch customer for the A350 is Qatar Airways, which ordered 80 aircraft of all three variants.