Now flying: The Airbus A350, the world's newest jetliner
It's official: Airbus' brand-new A350 widebody jet has become the newest aircraft to fly paying airline passengers.
Qatar Airways Flight 67 went into the record books Thursday as the first revenue flight to be flown on the A350, departing the airline's hub in Doha at 7:49 a.m. and landing in Frankfurt at 12:28 p.m., all times local. Qatar Airways is the global launch customer for the A350.
The A350 is likely to be last completely new aircraft to come online in the foreseeable future. Neither Boeing nor Airbus currently have any all-new models under way, meaning it could be a decade or longer until passengers see another all-new aircraft type produced by either of the world's two major jetmakers.
The A350 itself is the third all-new aircraft to be rolled out by either Airbus or Boeing during the past decade. It joins Airbus' superjumbo A380 – which debuted in 2007 – and Boeing's new-age 787 "Dreamliner," which made its first flight for an airline in 2011.
In part, the A350 is Airbus' answer to Boeing's Dreamliner. Like the Dreamliner, the new A350 is made partially from lightweight carbon composite fibers that improve fuel efficiency and enhance comfort for passengers by allowing for things like larger windows and more comfortable pressurization and humidity levels.
Also like the Dreamliner, Airbus promises the jet will allow airlines to begin flying routes between cities that previously could not profitably support nonstop service.
Boeing's Dreamliner has delivered on that promise. United, for example, says its Dreamliners allowed it to add nonstop service between San Francisco and Chengdu, China. And British Airways used its Dreamliner to connect London and Austin, giving the Texas capital its first-ever regularly scheduled flight to Europe.
Both the A350 and 787 burn less fuel than other comparable widebody jets that fly long-haul routes. The A350 holds roughly 275 to 370 passengers, depending on the variant and how airlines choose to configure the aircraft.
Still, Airbus hopes its A350 eventually will compete not only against Boeing's Dreamliner, but also against Boeing's popular 777 model.
As for Qatar Airways, it has 79 more A350s on order.
"The delivery of this new aircraft category into the Qatar Airways' fleet ... is a moment of absolute national pride for Qatar Airways and the state of Qatar," Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said at an inauguration ceremony last week, according to The Associated Press.
Qatar Airways has configured its A350s to hold 283 seats, including 36 full-flat-bed business class seats and 247 in coach.