Fiji Airways has taken delivery of the first of two A350 XWBs, making it the first airline from the South Pacific region to take delivery of the A350 XWB.
The aircraft, which is the smaller A350-900 variant, was delivered following a ceremony in Toulouse and is the first of two A350-900s that will join Fiji Airways’ fleet. The wide-body aircraft is configured in a two-class layout with 334 seats including 33 Collins Aerospace Super Diamond, fully lie-flat business class seats with direct aisle access. The aircraft also has 301 Recaro CL3710 economy class seats, 39 of which are designated as “Bula Space” seats with extra legroom, according to Airbus. The aircraft is also fitted with Thales in-flight, high-definition entertainment systems.
Fiji’s flag carrier will operate the A350 XWB on its Nadi-Los Angeles and Nadi-Sydney route. Earlier this year, the airline confirmed with Business Traveller Asia-Pacific that the new wide-body aircraft will launch on these routes on January 1, 2020.
Fiji Airways to fly new Airbus A350s to Sydney and Los Angeles
In September, Fiji Airways announced that this aircraft had rolled out of the Airbus paint shop in Toulouse and was proceeding to the final phase of the assembly process, with the installation of engines followed by ground and flight tests.
Airbus said the A350 XWB offers efficiency for all market segments up to ultra-long haul (15,000km). The plane manufacturer added that it features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fiber fuselage and wings, and new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines.
“The A350 XWB’s Airspace cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience,” reads a press release from Airbus.
At the end of October 2019, the A350 XWB family had received 913 firm orders from 50 Airbus customers worldwide.
Fiji Airways expects to take delivery of its second A350 in December. Both aircraft are on lease from DAE Capital, an aircraft leasing company based in Dubai.
There are two variants of the A350, which is the newest member of Airbus’ widebody family: the A350-900 and the larger A350-1000. Airbus previously planned an A350-800, but experienced low demand for the aircraft and in 2018 finally eliminated its order backlog for the aircraft when Asiana Airlines converted its order to the larger -900, according to FlightGlobal.
Fiji Airways now operates a fleet of six A330 family aircraft and “will benefit from the common type rating with the A350 XWB which allows pilots and crews to operate on both aircraft types”, Airbus said. It takes only eight days for a pilot who can already fly the A330 to learn to fly the A350.
According to Fiji Airways’ website, the airline also has four Boeing 737-800s, one B737-700, two ATR 72-600s, one ATR 42-600 (operated by Fiji Link), and three Twin Otters (operated by Fiji Link).
