With the success of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, Airbus has responded by developing the Airbus A350. The A350 will have three different variants: the A350-800, A350-900, and the A350-1000. It will carry 250 to 350 passengers, depending on the variant.
The A350 incorporates major changes from its predecessor, the A330. Passengers will have more headroom, larger overhead storage space and wider panoramic windows than current Airbus models. Another one of the major improvements will be fuel efficiency. The A350 is said to lower operating costs by 8% compared to operating the Boeing 787.
The launch customer for the A350 will be Qatar Airways. Qatar Air has ordered 80 aircrafts, while 561 orders have been placed all together for the new aircraft. Domestic airlines United Airlines, US Airways, and Hawaiian Airlines have all placed orders for the A350. The A350 is scheduled to enter airline service sometime in mid to late 2014.
