Air France has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350.
The first of a total of 28 Airbus A350-900s for Air France will make its first commercial flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle on October 7.
Three aircraft will be delivered in 2019, 3 more in 2020, 11 more by the end of 2021 and all 28 by the end of 2025.
Air France plans to use the new aircraft to replace aircraft on existing routes rather than creating new ones.
The first flight will be to Abidjan, Ivory Coast and Bamako, Mali. Flights to Toronto, Cairo and Seoul are planned for 2019, with Bangkok coming in 2020.
The cabin
The new aircraft has 324 seats in a three class layout with 34 in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 266 in Economy.
On board the Air France Airbus A350, passengers will enjoy –
- a more spacious cabin in Business, Premium Economy and Economy class
- windows that are 30% larger
- a different air pressure system providing a more comfortable cabin atmosphere with regularly renewed cabin air
- lighting adapted to the different flight phases
Business
34 seats in a 1-2-1 layout.
In Business, the seat turns into a 2 metre-long lie-flat bed. The new 18.5-inch HD touchscreen gives passengers access to more than 1,400 hours of entertainment including movies, music, podcasts and more.
Premium Economy
24 seats in a 2-4-2 layout.
In Premium Economy, the new “Recliner” seat is 48cm wide and reclines to 124°. Passengers enjoy a 96cm seat pitch to stretch out their legs and a 13.3-inch HD touchscreen. A pillow and a duvet are available for passengers.
Economy
266 seats in a 3-3-3 layout.
In Economy, the seat has a reinforced ergonomic seat cushion, a 118° seat recline, as well as a 79-cm seat pitch. The seat has an 11.6-inch HD touchscreen giving access to more than 1,400 hours of entertainment including movies, music, podcasts and more.
Wi-Fi on board!
On board the Airbus A350, passengers can stay connected with Air France CONNECT, the inflight Wi-Fi offer. Three different passes are available –
- A free “Message” pass for all, to send and receive messages throughout the flight
- A “Surf” pass costing between €3 and €18 (6,000 Miles) to surf the internet, consult and send emails
- A €30 (10,000 Miles) “Stream” pass to enjoy high-speed internet, streaming and downloads, including the “Message” and “Surf” pass
Environment
For many years, Air France has been committed to reducing its environmental footprint by implementing concrete actions – weight reduction on board, reducing and recycling waste, promoting eco-piloting, reducing the noise footprint, reducing and offsetting CO2 emissions and eliminating single-use plastic items.
Nonetheless, the main lever for reducing the environmental footprint remains its fleet modernization today symbolized by this very first A350.
This aircraft consumes 25% less fuel (i.e. 2.5 litres per passenger/100 km) thanks to the incorporation of materials which are up to 67% lighter – 53% composites and 14% titanium. In addition, its noise footprint is reduced by 40%.
N.B. Image credits: Air France / Airbus SAS
