June was a great month for European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, with a total of 902 new aircraft added to its order book at the Paris Air Show, over half of which were from Indian airline IndiGo, which ordered 500 aircraft from the A320neo family.
But that’s not all, as it was also the time when Airbus recorded the one-thousandth order of the A350, combining its A350-900 and A350-1000 versions. Since the first order of the model in 2007, a net total of 1,026 A350s have been ordered (with cancellations already deducted from that figure), as reported by our affiliated media, Aeroin.
The A350 orders in June included 34 A350-1000s and 6 A350-900s from Air India; 9 A350-1000s from Philippine Airlines and 10 A350-900s from a client who wishes to remain anonymous.
The vast majority of A350 orders are for the A350-900 (763 aircraft), followed by the A350-1000 (224 aircraft) and 39 orders for the cargo variant, the A350F.
The number of A350s delivered is 568 for the A350-900 variant and 74 for the A350-1000. The airlines with the highest number are Singapore Airlines with 62, followed by Qatar Airways with 56, Cathay Pacific with 46, Delta Air Lines with 28, and Air China with 27.
The first A350F is expected to take off in late 2024 or early 2025, to be delivered to the first customers in 2026. Among the A350 cargo customers, Martinair made the most recent order, for four units.
The development history of the Airbus A350 begins in 2004 when Airbus initiated its response to growing competition from Boeing and its 787 Dreamliner. Initially, Airbus proposed a design called A350 as an upgrade of the A330, but potential customers were not satisfied with the proposal, requesting a completely new design.
In 2006, at the Farnborough Air Show, Airbus introduced the A350 XWB (Extra Wide Body), a more robust response to the 787. This new design involved a wider fuselage, greater fuel efficiency, and intensive use of composite materials to reduce weight and emissions.
The first flight of the A350 XWB took place in June 2013, marking the beginning of an intensive flight test campaign. After receiving certification from EASA and FAA in 2014, the delivery of the first A350 to Qatar Airways took place in December 2014.
The A350 has undergone several improvements since its launch, including the introduction of the A350-1000 version in 2017, which is the largest of the family. To date, the A350 remains a key piece in Airbus’s strategy to compete in the wide-body aircraft market.
