Artistic impression of an A350 in Egyptair livery
Photo by: Airbus
Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus announced on Tuesday that Egypt’s national flag carrier, Egyptair, had ordered ten next-generation A350-900 widebody airliners. Next-generation airliners have airframes made predominantly from composite materials, and also use advanced alloys.
“Once delivered, the A350-900 will be Egyptair’s flagship aircraft,” pointed out Airbus chief commercial officer and International head Christian Scherer. “Adding the world’s most modern and efficient widebody aircraft to the airline’s fleet will be instrumental in expanding its offering, opening new opportunities particularly in [the] western US and the Far East.”
“Egyptair is a key partner of Airbus in the Middle East and Africa,” highlighted airline chairperson and CEO Yehia Zakaria. “We take immense pride in this partnership aimed at furthering the aviation industry. Our focus lies in the enhancement of our fleet to embrace some of the most contemporary aircraft available.”
The A350-900 airliners will burn 25% less fuel than the carrier’s current widebody types. This will also mean that they will produce 25% fewer carbon dioxide emissions.
“Egyptair has firmed up an agreement with Airbus to procure ten A350-900 aircraft, each boasting a capacity of 340 seats,” elucidated Zakaria. “These aircraft come equipped with cutting-edge technologies and Rolls-Royce XWB Trent engines, known for their modern design and reduced fuel [byproduct] emissions and consumption. As we tackle growing demand across our network, this aircraft is the optimal choice.”
Airbus describes the A350 as “the world’s most modern and efficient widebody aircraft”. The A350-family has two versions, the A350-900 and the longer fuselage A350-1000. In a standard three-class configuration, the A350-900 can accommodate from 300 to 350 passengers, and has a maximum range of 18 000 km. In addition to cutting fuel burn and carbon emissions, the A350 reduces radiated noise by 50%. To date, more than 1 000 A350s have been ordered by airlines around the world.