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Airbus A350

Type (Muster)
Long-range airliner (Langstrecken-Verkehrsflugzeug)

Country (Land)
France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom (Frankreich, Deutschland, Spanien, Großbritannien)

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Airbus Industrie
1, Rond Pont Maurice Bellonte
F-31707 Blagnac
France

Phone: 0033-5/6193-4203
Fax: 0033-5/6193-2820
Internet : www.airbus.com

Airbus shareholders are EADS (formerly Aerospatiale, Dasa and CASA) and BAE Systems

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2
Passengers (Passagiere):
A350-800: 253 in a typical three-class layout or 258 (36 business and 222 economy - at first said to be 245)
A350-900: 316 (36 business and 280 economy - at first said to be 285) or 300 in a three-class layout
Cargo (Fracht): Under-floor space for six 96 inch x 125 inch (244 centimetre x 317 centimetre) cargo pallets (after provision for passenger baggage) in the A380-800.

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x turbofans. Launch engine is the General Electric GEnx 72A1 for the A350-800 and the GEnx-75A1 for the A350-900, but the Rolls-Royce Trent 1711 is an option.
Thrust (Schub): 311 kN (GEnx-72A1) or 334 kN (75000 lbs) for the GEnx-75A1

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): ca. 58,8 m for the A350-800 and 65,2 m for the A350-900
Height (Höhe): 17,4 m for the A350-800
Fuselage width (Rumpfbreite): 5,64 m
Span (Spannweite): 61,1 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 362 sq m
Wing sweep at quarter chord (Flügelpfeilung): 30 deg
Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 45,5 m for the A350-800 or 52,0 m for the A350-900
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 5,32 m at floor level

Weights (Massen)
Empty weight (Leermasse): 124100 kg for the A350-800 or 130700 kg for the -900
Payload (Nutzlast): 35700 kg for the A350-800 or 44900 kg for the A350-900
Fuel capacity (Kraftstoff): 139100 litres
Max. zero fuel weight (max. Masse ohne Kraftstoff): 170000 kg for the A350-800 and 180500 kg for the A350-900
Max. ramp weight (max. Rollmasse): 245900 kg
Max. take-off weight (max. Startmasse): 245000 kg
Max. landing weight (max. Landemasse): 182000 kg for the A350-800 and 192500 kg for the A350-900

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Cruise speed (Reisegeschwindigkeit): Mach 0.84
Range (Reichweite):
13890 km (7500 NM) for the A350-900 stretched model with a typical three-class cabin layout
16300 km (8800 NM) for the A350-800 with 253 passengers (at first given as 15930 km for the A350-800 with full passenger load)

Costs (Kosten)
List prices mentioned in December 2004 were 153,5 million US-Dollars for the A350-800 and 170,5 million for the A350-900.
At the Paris Air Show in June 2005, Airbus CEO Noel Forgeard gave the development cost of the A350 as 4,35 billion euros or $5,3 billion.
After the "authorisation to offer" on 10 December 2004, press reports indicated that the development cost of the A350 would be about 4 billion Euro, of which industrial partners will need to contribute around 600 million Euro. This hike compared to earlier estimates were explained by the increased amount of changes now introduced, particularly the new wing.
Earlier, in the autumn of 2004, it was said that a derivative development based on the A330 could cost around 2 - 3 billion Euros. A quarter of that could be financed by risk-sharing partners. Launch aid in the region of 700 million to 1 billion Euros would be used, Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard said in mid-October 2004, if it is not banned by the time of programme start.

Customers (Kunden)
In early October 2005, Airbus had 140 firm commitments from 9 customers.
After the Paris Air Show in mid-June 2005, Airbus had some 130 orders and commitments for the A350 from 8 customers.
Air Europa: 10 + 4 options. A Memorandum of Understanding was announced on 21 December 2004. The aircraft were due to be delivered between 2010 and 2012 with GEnx engines.
ALAFCO : 12 + 6 options. The Kuwait-based international aircraft leasing company announced its intent on 14 June 2005 at the Paris Air Show. Deliveries of ALAFCO's A350-800s are due to begin in the third quarter of 2012.
CIT Group: 5. The order was announced on 18 August 2005. Deliveries should begin in 2012.
GECAS: 10. GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS), a unit of GE Commercial Finance, signed a letter of intent for a firm order of ten A350s on 15 June 2005 at the Paris Air Show.
Kingfisher Airlines: 5. A contract was signed on 15 June 2005 at the Paris Air Show in connection with other orders for the A330 and A380. A350 deliveries were said to begin in 2012.
Qatar Airways: 60. Announced by chief executive Akbar Al Baker on 13 June 2005 at the Paris Air Show, but at that time it was just an announcement that negotiations were under way. The deal was for a mix of A350-800s and larger A350-900s, with deliveries due to begin in the third quarter of 2010. Qatar Airways will use the A350-800s and –900s to complement its A330s and A340s on regional and long-haul routes, respectively. Envisaged non-stop routes from Qatar Airways' Doha base include New York and Melbourne for the A350-800s, and Johannesburg, Manilla and Tokyo for its A350-900s. Qatar announced an MoU with General Electric for the GEnx engne in September 2005.
TAM: 8 + 7 options: TAM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at Le Bourget on 16 June 2005. Deliveries for the 350 are scheduled to start at the end of 2012.
US Air: 20: This results from the Airbus investment in the struggling carriers planned merger with America West.
Unannounced: 10
By the time of the industrial launch in October 2005, Airbus estimated the market for aircraft of tis size at 3300, including freighters, over the next 20 years. It expected to obtain half of that.
After the "authorisation to offer" in December 2004, Airbus CEO Noel Forgeard said that he expects to receive around 50 orders for the A350 by the time of the Paris Air Show in June 2005.
In the autumn of 2004 it was said that Airbus was talking about the A350 with airlines like SIA, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines and Qatar Airways. In late November, there were unconfirmed reports of interest by Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus and Korean Air Lines.
In December 2004, the market for aircraft in the 250-300 seat category was estimated by Airbus at some 3,100 new aircraft over the next 20 years, including 1800 for 250-seaters and 1300 for 300-seaters. Of these, the company expected to get at least 50 per cent.

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
Boeing 787
Boeing 777-200ER

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The A350 is Airbus´ response to the Boeing 787 (formerly called the 7E7). After long dismissing the Boeing theory of market fragmentation, Airbus President and CEO Noel Forgeard said in December 2004 that "the long range market is becoming more segmented in terms of size and range. Airbus has listened to its customers, who were interested in the medium size category with greater range to complement their current Airbus wide-body families."
The A350 is based on the A330, but with substantial improvements so that Airbus now claims its nearly a new aircraft (90 per cent new manufacturing numbers). After claiming a 12 per cent lower fuel consumption per trip in December 2004, Airbus reformulated the gain in May 2005 as being 15 per cent less sfc by the GEnx against the CF6-80E1. It also said the A350 would have 15 per cent less maintenance costs.
The A350 still offers a maximum of operational commonality with the current A330/A340 line - including Common Type Rating with the A330. It will also be certified as a variant of the A330.
The A350 will be offered in two versions. The A350-800 will typically seat 253 passengers, while the A350-900 has a stretched fuselage and up to 316 seats.
New technologies used in the A350 are taken from other Airbus programmes, mainly the A380. They are aimed at lowering weight (equivalent to 8 tonnes, but offset by heavier engine and beefing up for higher operating weights) and improving maintenance costs. Changes include:

new engines from General Electric (GEnx) and later from Rolls-Royce (Trent 1711), based on the new models under development for the 7E7, but incorporating bleed air. Thrust ratings of around 70000 lbs (300 kN) are required
full titanium engine pylon
wing modifications to fit the new engines and aerodynamic fine-tuning using latest 3D-design technologies for better high-speed aerodynamics
passive and active load alleviation
central wing box and outer wing in carbonfibre technology. It consists of composite front, center and rear spars, composite upper and lower panels and metallic ribs
use of aluminium-lithium in optimised fuselage design. Rear fuselage either Al-Li or CFRP. I total, Airbus claimed a weight reduction of 8 tonnes from the new technologies
use of new avionics and systems derived from the A380
all new cabin design, enabled by a new fuselage structure
new air conditioning system
larger windows
new landing gear
new APU
new empennage

History (Geschichte)
According to statements of Airbus CEO Noel Forgeard in December 2004, the company had seen the emergence of the very long range, medium capacity market since late 2003, especially on transpacific routes. As the A330 was selling very well, it delayed launch of a response to the Boeing 7E7 for tactical reasons, even if it had the authorisation of the supervisory board to launch the project if necessary since July 2004. This allowed time to optimise the design in consultation with airlines.
A first visible indication that Airbus was seriously working on a counter to the Boeing 7E7 came in mid-August 2004, when Singapore Airlines deferred a widely expected decision to order the new Boeing high-tech twinjet, giving it time to study rival offerings.
Then, on 29 August, the London-based Sunday Times ran a story on the A330-derivative plans.
Airbus Chief Executive Noel Forgeard declared on 6 September that speculation on an A330 derivative “is very premature” and that “we can start from scratch or we can modernize existing products. By the end of the year, we should know where we are”. If an offering would be made, the first customer could sign by late 2005, Forgeard indicated. This would allow a programme start in early 2006 and a service entry in mid-2008.
Other reports emerging at the end of September 2004 indicated that modified sections for an upgraded A330 should be available by July 2007, leading to a first flight in mid-2008 and service entry in mid-2009. At that time, Noel Forgeard indicated in an interview with “Les Echos” that Airbus is studying an 7E7 competitor with around 270 seats, which would be designated A350, as it is substantially different from the A330.
In mid-October 2004 further information filtering through indicated that Airbus is planning two A350 variants, based on the fuselage lengths of the A330-200 (250 seats) and the A330-300 (295 seats). On 15 October 2004, and EADS press release claimed that the EADS Board has made no decision on a new aircraft programme to address possible future demand in the 250-seater aircraft range, nor on any funding requirements that might be associated with such a programme.
By mid-November, rumours regarding the imminent marketing launch of the “A350” intensified, with newspaper reports indicating an investment of 3,3 billion US-Dollars. EADS co-Chief Executive Philippe Camus said November 18 that a new plane will be discussed at the next board meeting.
On November 23, Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard declared the was “reasonably optimistic” that the EADS board would approve the launch of the new programme and that the A350 would enter service a year after the Boeing 7E7. Top salesman John Leahy added that there would be the A350-800 and A350-900, based on the A330-200 and A330-300 respectively, but with range increases of “1000 miles or more” – that would be 7650 NM (14170 km) and 6600 NM (12225 km). Other reports suggested that a range of 8500 NM (15700 km) would be offered. Leahy claimed interest from current A330 users. Unconfirmed reports named Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus and Korean Air Lines as interested parties.
Contrary to rampant speculation, the EADS board did not decide on the A350 during its meeting on November 29, 2004. It was said that the Airbus plans were well received and that a decision will be taken before year end – presumably at the next meeting on December 10.
On 10 December 2004, Airbus received approval from its shareholders, EADS and BAE Systems to begin making firm commercial offers to launch customers for two new members of its wide-body Family. The new sisterships to the A330s are called "A350". Airbus claimed that many customers had already expressed their interest in these new models and contributed to their definition.
In December 2004, service entry was predicted for the first half of 2010 for the A350-800, with the –900 to follow later that year. Design freeze was set for mid-2005. The design revealed in December was the third iteration, as Airbus at the start wanted less changes (which would have been cheaper) and an earlier service entry of 2009.
On 21 December 2004, Air Europa of Spain was revealed as the first airline to commit to the A350-800, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding for 10 aircraft and 2 further options. Deliveries should be between 2010 and 2012.
In January 2005, Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard said that the company is offering China a 5 per cent risk sharing stake in the A350. Talks were under way with AVIC I and AVIC II.
Three or four design iterations were completed in the first months of 2005.
In mid-May 2005, at the Airbus technical press briefing in Toulouse, it was said that “triple digit” orders could be announced at the Paris Air Show in June. Speculation of customer names included Emirates and US Airways/America West.
On 8 June 2005, the EADS Board issued a statement saying that “Following the already public commitments towards the Airbus A350 by several airlines, and having reviewed the ones to be announced in the near future, the EADS Board was confirmed in its conviction that this project very appropriately meets the airlines' expectations in the field of mid-size twin aircraft for the next generation. After thorough review of the industrial situation, and the work in progress on optimization of the industrial ramp-up, the Board confirmed its willingness to proceed towards the full industrial launch of the program with its partner BAE Systems by the end of September.”
At the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget in mid-June 2005, Airbus Chief Executive Noël Forgeard said his company can launch the aircraft without European government aid if necessary. "Which does not mean that we will spit on any form of support that would be jointly agreed," Forgeard added. "We shall do the A350 anyway," he said, "since we have the orders."
During the Paris Air Show from 13 to 19 June 2005, Airbus announced orders or commitments for the A350 from Qatar Airways (60), the Kuwaiti leasing company ALAFCO (12 plus six options), GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) (10), Kingfisher Airlines (5) and TAM (8 plus 7 options).
By mid-September 2005, Airbus claimed it had secured provisional launch-aid commitments from four countries. An “industrial launch” was then predicted for October.
On 6 October 2005, the EADS Board of Directors did give the go ahead for Airbus to launch the industrial programme for a new A350 airliner family. This go ahead together with that received from BAE SYSTEMS, means that Airbus is now launching the programme. “The A350 programme has a very promising business case,” the EADS CEOs Tom Enders and Noël Forgeard said. With this official industrial launch, Airbus was able to book firm orders and expected around 200 of these by the end of the year. It was also revealed that an agreement has been signed with Rolls-royce for the supply of the Trent 1711 engine. Service entry was exptected in 2010.
At the time of the announcement, it was also said that Airbus had applied for support in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. The European governments had provided letters of general support for the A350. However, Airbus, EADS and BAE SYSTEMS had decided that no disbursement should take place throughout 2006 as long as there is a credible prospect of negotiations and similar restraint is being undertaken in the United States.

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Last updated 7 October 2005

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