The Airbus A350 turns 10

On January 15, Airbus celebrated the tenth anniversary of the A350 aircraft family, which was first delivered to Qatar Airways. The A350 has become one of the most successful widebody aircraft families, accumulating over 1,300 orders for the A350-900, A350-1000, and A350F, per Simple Flying.

Tenth anniversary

On January 15, Airbus shared that on that day, the A350 aircraft family and the Airbus A350-900 celebrated 10 years of successful operations. On January 15, 2015, Qatar Airways introduced the very first A350-900 into active service.

Airbus delivered the aircraft, registered as A7-ALA, on December 18, 2014, according to ch-aviation’s data. The European plane maker highlighted the aircraft’s ultra-long-range capabilities, including the fact that it already operates the world’s longest flight between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).

The route is flown by Singapore Airlines’ A350-900 ultra-long-range (ULR) version of the aircraft, enabling the airline to schedule a non-stop itinerary. Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium’s Diio Mi airline planning tool showed that the flight is scheduled to travel 15,268 kilometers (8,244 nautical miles) both ways.

In comparison, the Singaporean carrier’s other record-breaking route, between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Singapore Changi, is scheduled to fly 15,263 km (8,241 NMI), coming up just 5 km short of the New York-JFK to Singapore itinerary.

Airbus also boasted the fact that Qantas will launch its Project Sunrise flights with the A350-1000, which the Australian airline selected over the Boeing 787-9 in 2019, offering Australian and British travellers a non-stop flight between Sydney Airport (SYD) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR).

Great Circle Map indicated that the Great Circle distance between Sydney and London is 17,016 km (9,187 NMI), enabling Qantas to easily claim the crown of the longest airline route once the flights are launched in 2026.

Rivalling the Boeing 777

Following the very first delivery in December 2014, Airbus managed to hand over 548 A350-900 and a further 94 A350-1000. Qatar Airways was also the first customer of the latter, which welcomed the first A350-1000, registered as A7-ANA, on February 16, 2018, per ch-aviation.

Since announcing the A350 aircraft family in 2006, when it opted for a clean-sheet design instead of developing an A330 derivative, which evolved into the A330neo, Airbus has amassed 1,344 gross orders as of December 31, 2024. This is split between 989 gross orders for the A350-900, 300 for the A350-1000, and 55 for the A350F, the freighter version of the latter variant.

In comparison, the original Boeing 777 aircraft family, namely the 777-200, 777-200ER, 777-200LR, 777-300, 777-300ER , and 777F, has 2,004 gross orders, of which Boeing has delivered 1,741 as of December 31, 2024. Note that gross orders can include purchases that were eventually cancelled or made by airlines that have gone out of business.

So far, the US-based plane maker has also amassed 540 gross orders for the 777X, namely the 777-8, 777-8F, and 777-9. Following cancellations and accounting adjustments, Boeing’s commercial orders and deliveries page showed 43, 55, and 383 unfilled orders, respectively.

For some additional competitive fun, Cirium’s Diio Mi data showed that in January, airlines have scheduled 7,927 weekly flights with the A350-900 and A350-1000. Meanwhile, carriers should utilise the 777 aircraft family on 12,932 weekly flights during the same month.

The very first commercial A350-900 remains in active service with Qatar Airways, which has already phased out seven A350-900 aircraft out of its fleet in November 2017 (two, A7-AMC and A7-AMD), March 2020 (four, A7-AMA, A7-AMB, A7-AQA, and A7-AQB), and May 2020 (A7-AQC).

Four of these (A7-AMA, A7-AMB, A7-AMC, and A7-AMD) were subleased from LATAM Airlines for between six and 12 months, with an option to extend those leases, according to a March 2017 statement by the Chile-based airline group.

Next step for the A350

While Airbus has been improving the A350 family with – relatively – small upgrades, the aircraft’s next big evolution will be the A350F. The European manufacturer introduced the freighter derivative of the A350-1000 in 2021.

According to Airbus, the A350F will bring the latest-generation efficiency to the large freighter market, becoming the only widebody cargo aircraft that will meet the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) emissions standards. Boeing will end the production of the 767F in 2027, in part because of these requirements and in part because of low demand. The 777F, which will be replaced by the 777-8F, will meet the same fate, eventually.

The company should deliver the first A350F in 2026, with the type having already secured its first order in 2025. On January 9, Taiwan-based STARLUX Airlines ordered five A350Fs, doubling its order book for the type.