The first Airbus A350-1000 of British Airways flew for the first time this Tuesday in Toulouse. It is expected to be delivered by Airbus in July. The flight lasted about 6 hours and reached a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet.
The new long-range jet will be configured with a passenger cabin for 331 passengers divided into three classes, including the unprecedented “Club Suite“, which will debut on the A350.
According to British Airways, “it offers direct-aisle access, the suite door for greater privacy and luxurious flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. Boasting 40 per cent more storage, including a vanity unit and mirror, WiFi, 18.5-inch inflight entertainment screens, high definition gate-to-gate programming, and PC/USB power. ”
The British airline’s first A350 is scheduled to debut on short-haul flights such as London-Madrid to allow crews to become familiar with the layout of the aircraft.
On October 1, BA intends to operate the Airbus jet on long-haul flights, when it will have received another two A350-1000s.
British Airways plans to incorporate 72 new aircraft over the next five years. Among them are the Boeing 787-10, the 777-9 and the A320neo and A321neo for short distance routes.
