Virgin Atlantic has welcomed a new Airbus A350-1000, marking the UK airline’s 55th delivery from the European manufacturer. The aircraft has been christened «Wendy Darling,» a fictional character from the story written by J. M. Barrie: Peter Pan.
The newly registered aircraft G-VNVR took its inaugural flight on February 15, 2024, and was delivered to Virgin Atlantic on March 15. The A350-1000 is equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines and has a capacity to carry 335 passengers in three classes.
Virgin Atlantic operates eleven Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, serving routes to Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta (ATL), Miami (MIA), and New York (JFK) in the United States; Mumbai (BOM) and Delhi (DEL) in India; and Lagos (LOS) in Nigeria.
The Virgin Atlantic fleet comprises 42 aircraft:
- 17 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner;
- 11 Airbus A350-1000;
- 4 Airbus A330-900;
- 10 Airbus A330-300.
Airbus A350-1000 Virgin Atlantic
The A350-1000 on tour in Latin America
The A350-1000 will be showcased at the 23rd edition of the FIDAE International Air and Space Fair, taking place from April 9 to 14 at the Arturo M. Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile (SCL).
This marks the first time the largest twin-engine Airbus will be part of the region’s most significant aviation and space exhibition. In previous editions, the European manufacturer presented the A350-900.
Airbus aims to regain its presence in the Latin American market with the A350, considering that the only operator in the region is Air Caraïbes, operating both variants of the model.
LATAM Airlines phased out its A350-900, opting for the Boeing 777-300ER for its long-haul flights from Brazil. Meanwhile, Azul Airlines removed the two A350 aircraft it had recently received, with one already returned, and the other awaiting the same fate.
Airbus will endeavor to capture the attention of LATAM Airlines, which will need to find replacements for its ten Boeing 777-300ER.
