Emirates Unveils Its New Airbus A350 In Dubai

Emirates has unveiled its first Airbus A350-900 at an event in Dubai, two days after the airline ferried the widebody jet to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

First new aircraft type since 2008

The A350-900, registered as A6-EXA, arrived at Dubai International Airport (DXB) on November 25, with the aircraft departing Airbus’ final assembly line (FAL) at Toulouse Blagnac Airport (TLS) and flying through the United Kingdom’s airspace, presumably due to documentation-related quirks, before turning toward Dubai.

Ch-aviation data showed that Emirates was the owner of the A350-900, which operated its first-ever flight on September 25.

According to Emirates, its new A350-900 featured three spacious cabin classes, welcoming 312 travelers in 32 next-generation business class lie-flat, 21 premium economy, and 259 economy class seats with generous pitch.

The airline highlighted that the onboard product reflected its commitment to delivering a premium passenger experience, which also has been underpinned by its massive Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 cabin retrofit program.

With the introduction of the A350-900, which should begin commercial service in early January 2025, Emirates has welcomed its first new fleet type since 2008. Then, it welcomed its first-ever A380 aircraft, now a staple of its fleet.

Demanding customer about passenger experience

Speaking during the event, Tim Clark, the president of Emirates, accentuated that the airline and Airbus have a very long-standing relationship, with the carrier having operated a wide variety of the European plane maker’s aircraft, including the A300, A310, A330, A340, A380, and now, the A350.

“Today, we are the largest operator of the A380, which has become synonymous with the Emirates brand and the A380 has changed the way people think about air travel, and it is the way that went about some of the unique features and experiences that we have created onboard that has done so much for not only the airline but also for Dubai.”

Clark noted that today was another chapter in Emirates’ story, with the elevated travel experience being the main character of that story. This will be the next era of flying better than ever, the executive added.

When designing the interior of the A350-900, the carrier considered every detail in every cabin, galley, and crew area, with the goal of providing the best possible in-flight environment and experience.

“I am sure our friends at Airbus will tell you that Emirates is rather demanding about customization. When it comes to product and customer experience, an off-the-shelf or cookie-cutter approach is not for us.”

As a result, Emirates customized the cabin layout of the A350-900, adding many innovative features to deliver an even better passenger experience and enable the carrier’s crews to deliver better service.

Airbus to deliver long-range A350s later

Clark said that Emirates’ first batch of A350-900s were designed for flight missions of up to 12 hours and that later, the airline will receive the ultra-long-range (ULR) version of the widebody jet.

This will unlock new non-stop destinations across the globe, with the Emirates executive admitting that some airports, such as those in Central America, could not be reached with an A350-900ULR.

Nevertheless, the inaugural A350-900 journey will take passengers to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) on January 3. Subsequently, Emirates will add eight more destinations to the type’s route network, which includes cities in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, in particular, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

“We are excited about the A350 for many reasons. The ability to unlock our new network growth, the ability to offer our latest products like premium economy to even more customers around the world, and the opportunity to expand Dubai’s air connectivity and contribute to the city’s economic strategy.”

Clark concluded by thanking Airbus, Rolls-Royce, the exclusive engine supplier for the A350 family, and the many partners and employees who helped make the A350-900’s arrival in Dubai a reality.

“One delivered, 64 more to go.”

Philippe Mhun, the executive vice president of programmes and services for Airbus, expressed similar sentiments, with the plane maker’s executive saying that Airbus was proud that Emirates has endorsed its flagship widebody, the A350.

“We are grateful for our partnership that we have had for over the past four decades, and we look forward with great excitement to the next part of our journey together.”

Mhun highlighted that this was the 175th aircraft that Airbus delivered to Emirates since the manufacturer handed over its first aircraft to the airline in 1987.

Omar Ali Adib, the senior vice president of customers in Middle East and Africa of Rolls-Royce, said that the collaborative effort between Emirates, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce exemplified what can be achieved when the companies build a long-term partnership.

“
Our own relationship with Emirates dates back to 1996 when the airline first tapped Rolls-Royce engines to power its queens [Queens of the Skies, the Boeing 747 – ed. note].”

Adib pointed out that the Trent XWB-84 was the sixth Trent family engine to be introduced into service by Emirates.