Emirates marks an important fleet milestone with the delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 aircraft. A6-EXA is the first of 65 A350 aircraft to be delivered to the airline over the course of the next few years. The delivery also marks the first new aircraft type to join the Emirates fleet since 2008. The A350 is set to enhance Emirates’ medium and long-haul operations beyond the airline’s existing network.
The delivery flight for the newest member of the Emirates fleet was powered by a blend of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Emirates has ordered a total of 65 A350-900s as part of the airline’s’ broader plans to support Dubai’s’ Economic Agenda, which aims to add 400 cities to Dubai’s foreign trade map over the next decade. The A350 will play a vital role in establishing the newly announced Dubai World Central (DWC) mega hub, further strengthening Dubai’s position as a global aviation leader.
Emirates A350-900 will feature three spacious and comfortable cabin classes, accommodating 312 passengers (32 business, 21 premium economy and 259 spacious economy class seats). Emirates will also be the first airline in the Middle-East to introduce Airbus’ new HBCplus satcom connectivity solution, offering seamless, high-speed global connectivity.
The aircraft will officially enter commercial service in January when it makes its debut flight to its first destination, Edinburgh from January 3, 2025 followed by 8 other destinations including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kuwait, Bahrain, Colombo, Lyon, Muscat and Bologna, with more to follow.
The airline also currently serves Glasgow with a daily A380 – offering customers 14 weekly flights to/from Scotland. Including Edinburgh, Emirates serves eight destinations in the UK.
The A350 is the world’s most modern and efficient widebody aircraft and the long range leader in the 300-410 seater category. Its clean sheet design includes state-of-the-art technologies, aerodynamics, lightweight materials and latest generation engines that together deliver a 25% advantage in fuel burn, operating costs and CO₂ emissions. The A350’s Airspace cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle in the sky featuring a 50% noise footprint reduction versus the previous generation aircraft.
As with all Airbus aircraft, the A350 aircraft is already able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus is targeting to have its aircraft up to 100% SAF capable by 2030.
At the end of October 2024, the A350 Family had won more than 1,340 firm orders from 60 customers worldwide.
