Emirates A350-900s, Everything You Need To Know...
Intro
For years, Emirates has prioritized the largest variants of certain aircraft, operating the A380 and 777s solely. However, as of now, Emirates has taken delivery of its very first A350-900, and this is revolutionary!
The Details
Back in 2019, Emirates placed a large aircraft order across both major companies for the following aircraft:
65 A350-900s
20 Boeing 787-8
15 Boeing 787-10
35 777-8
170 777-9
The first A350-900 was just delivered from the Airbus manufacturing plant in Toulouse with the registration code A6-EXA. This aircraft is currently being prepared for service and, for the time being, will be flying regionally.
While this is the first of the 15 regional A350s, Emirates can expect to take one delivery per month up until 2028, which is when Airbus anticipates that all A350s will be delivered.
Interiors
Womp womp, at least for passengers, that is...
Emirates had decided on a lot of details for the interiors of these aircraft, and none of them seemed to be great...
For starters, Emirates has backtracked on what they had originally said and opted not to add a First Class cabin to any of their A350s. Considering almost** every plane in the Emirates fleet operates First Class (at least 90%), this is a huge letdown for passengers. Especially since the business class they decided to install is the same as the new 777s🤦♂️.
There will be two configurations for the Emirates A350-900, which are as follows:
The first 15 A350s will feature 312 seats; these are regional jets, so no crew rest facilities.
The remaining 50 A350s will feature 298 seats. On the contrary, these will have crew rest facilities, hence less passenger seating.
Routes:
Edinburgh (EDI) as of January 3, 2025
Ahmedabad (AMD) as of February 1, 2025
Bahrain (BAH) as of February 1, 2025
Kuwait City (KWI) as of February 1, 2025
Mumbai (BOM) as of February 1, 2025
Colombo (CMB) as of March 1, 2025
Lyon (LYS) as of March 1, 2025
Bologna (BLQ) as of March 15, 2025
My Thoughts
There is a lot to unpack about Emirates and its new A350-900 jet. Similarly to the new British Airways First Class, this product feels like it is 5 years too old for business class. The premium economy cabins look very decent, and economy seems more or less adequate. It is a shame that no A350s will feature First Class, but it is what it is...
For Emirates, having the A350 opens up a realm of possibility. There are certain markets where load factors are low, and with better fuel economics, the A350 is able to fill those markets. In addition, unless one is flying to a country that doesn't see a lot of demand, you won't have to worry about having a non-first-class plane (i.e., if you are flying DXB-LAX, you will be fine).
Final Thoughts
Emirates has just taken delivery of its very first A350-900, and it certainly isn't all pleasant. While airlines like Qatar have been improving all of their cabins, Emirates has decided to stick with the same cabins in terms of business, premium economy, and economy. If you are interested in flying the A350, from January, Emirates seems to have scheduled it to Edinburgh. Keep in mind that schedule changes can happen.
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