Airbus has delivered its 100th A350 to an airline customer.
The aircraft is the seventh A350-900 for China Airlines and is the 36th A350-900 delivered to an airline customer so far in 2017. The milestone was reached approximately 30 months after the first delivery to Qatar Airways in December 2014.
“The 100th A350 XWB milestone comes as we reach our fastest widebody production ramp-up, on track to meet the target of 10 A350 deliveries per month by the end of 2018,” said Fabrice Bregier, COO and president of commercial aircraft at Airbus. “We are especially proud to deliver today’s aircraft to our long-standing customer China Airlines. The A350 is setting new standards for long-haul air travel in terms of efficiency and comfort, thus being the perfect aircraft for China Airlines to expand its long-haul network.”
Taipei-based China Airlines received its first A350-900 in September 2016 and now has seven left on order.
“China Airlines is happy to be receiving the 100th A350 XWB,” said Nuan-shuan Ho, chairman of China Airlines. “This remarkable new aircraft has not only met, but exceeded our expectations at every level. This includes operational efficiency, the step-change reduction in fuel consumption and the in-flight comfort standards it offers our passengers. Worldwide demand for air travel will continue to grow strongly, especially on long-haul routes linking Asia with Europe and North America. The A350 XWB is one of the key assets in our fleet and will be the basis for the development of our long-haul route network.”
The A350-900 is now in service with 14 airlines and is being flown on more than 110 routes around the world.
The longer A350-1000 is currently undergoing a test campaign and is scheduled for type certification and first customer delivery in the fourth quarter of 2017.
A total of 847 firm orders have been placed for the A350 from 45 customers to date, according to Airbus.