The 500th Airbus A350 – an A350-900 – was delivered to Iberia, a major European customer with 20 A350s on order and 14 in service. Beyond a symbol, the 500th A350 marks an important milestone for Airbus and its growing versatile family, now including the A350-900, the A350-1000 and the newest Airbus freighter A350F.
With enhanced performance, 25% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions and 50% less noise footprint compared to previous-generation aircraft, the A350 family continuously attracts operators eight years after its entry-into-service offering both high versatility – up to 9,700nm/18 000 km – and efficiency.
This 500th delivery also marks the introduction of the new production standard 2022 which brings additional performance and cabin improvements for both A350-900s and A350-1000s. Compared to previous standards, it brings a weight reduction of up to 1.2 tonnes by optimising systems and structures and increasing the use of advanced materials which already represent more than 70% of the aircraft. The maximum take-off weight is also increased by three tonnes, allowing each model to maintain its maximum range capability, beyond 8,000nm, while carrying an increased payload. The new standard comes with a wider interior cabin at armrest level. This increase in cabin space allows airlines the flexibility to offer more than 30 additional seats in a typical three-class configuration.
