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FEATURE AvIATION BUSINESS

Twin Aisle Titans

The A350 XWB is fast eating into the 787 Dreamliner’s lead
By JK Chandra

BOEING’S 787 DREAMLINER AND THE Launch customer Qatar Airlines took airplanes, says the airline. “The A350
Airbus A350 XWB are star contenders delivery of the first of 80 A350s on order marks our entry into the two-litre class
in the twin-aisle, medium to long-haul in December, 2014 and now has three and is an important step towards active
segment. The 787 was first to market aircraft in revenue service. It operates noise protection. The aircraft generates a
and has a three year lead in deliveries the jetliner on its Doha-Frankfurt and 30 percent smaller noise footprint,” said
compared to the A350 XWB. As of the Doha-Singapore sectors. Airbus has been Thomas Klühr, member of the Lufthansa
end of April, Airbus had 778 A350 XWB’s careful to minimise teething troubles and German Airlines Board.
yet to be delivered, while Boeing had production issues with the new type and The A350-900 is powered by Rolls
835 Dreamliner’s on its order books for this is reflected in the A350’s smooth entry Royce (RR) Trent XWB-84’s and has a
delivery. Boeing has ramped up production into service with Qatar Airlines. Providing max take-off weight of 268 tonnes and
to 10 a month for the Dreamliner, with an update during the ‘Airbus Innovation max fuel capacity of 138,000 litres. Range
Airbus slated to deliver 12 more XWBs Days’ event held in May, company officials with maximum payload is approximately
this year, Boeing’s lead in aircraft to be said in-service XWB’s had now crossed 9,500 km. Figures released by Lufthansa,
delivered will reduce significantly, by the 2,100 hours and aircraft daily utilisation peg fuel consumption of the -900 XWB at
end of this year. Production rates are rates were in excess of 11 flight hours, 2.9 litres /100 pax km, 26 percent lesser
slowly being ramped up and the next “Operations were exceeding expectations,” when compared to its Boeing 747-400s
two airlines to receive the A350 will be said a company official. Lufthansa will and 24 percent lower than the A340-
Vietnam Airways in June and Finnair in induct the first of its A350-900s next year. 300s. Lufthansa also operates 19 Boeing
September. The two airlines have a total The airline chose not to place orders for the 747-8s which are 15 percent more fuel
of 14 and 19 A350’s on order respectively. 787 family, as the 787-9 was too small and efficient when compared to its 747-400’s.
The next airline to take delivery of its A350 the 787-10 did not offer the range required The Trent XWB engines deliver one-third
will be Latin American airline TAM which by the airline on a number of routes. It will of the A350’s promised 25 per cent lower
has 27 of the type on order. The smaller begin operations with the XWBs from its fuel burn per seat when compared to the
A350-800 is now down to only 16 orders, Munich hub. According to the airline, its current competing jetliners. The new
with eight each for Aeroflot and Asiana new A350-900’s will have an average fuel engine is also 16 per cent more efficient
Airlines and is likely to be culled from the consumption per passenger per 100 km than first-generation Trent engines which
range in the near future. Airbus officials (l/100pkm) of only 2.9 litres of kerosene. entered service in 1995. The 97,000 lb
have publically admitted that A330neo This is a fuel efficiency improved by roughly thrust version of Trent XWB, which will
would be of more interest to airlines. 25 percent over current-generation power the larger Airbus A350-1000, ran
6 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS MAY / JUNE 2015 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM