Airbus has announced on 22/January in a presentation to Deutsche Bank investors an upgrade to the A350 capacity.
Source: Airbus
The forthcoming upgrade was hinted to media at Airbus annual press conference 2 weeks ago by Didier Evrard, Airbus head of programs, but no details were given at the time.
Source: Felix Gottwald
The changes were now spelled out more in detail, including pictures of the changed sections of the cabin.
Source: Leeham News
The improvement program brings the Cabin-Flex lavatories to the A350 interior catalog, enabling smaller lavatory footprint and thereby increased seating densities.
Source: Felix Gottwald
Airbus has also reworked galleys around the 3rd and 4th door pairs, thereby freeing up galley area in other parts of the cabin.
Taken together, Airbus claims an 18 seat improvement for the A350-1000, making it a 387 seater in a 2 class configuration.
Based on the article “A350-1000 gets upgrade to 387 seats; we analyse the consequences” published in Leeham News.
So much for 350 as the optimal seat count number. .said by mr. Airbus
ReplyDeleteLooks like the pressure is on the A35J to compete with the 779. Airbus should have done this from the beginning rather than basing a new aircraft on the 14 year old 77W.
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree. I think Airbus's approach is actually brilliant. Of course they knew what the 777-9X was going to be like. The smart lav was in the works and they knew could add the seats and see what happens. Smart, quick, relatively inexpensive. Test the market and stretch to -1100 only if needed. If and when the -1000 gets new Ultrafan engines when the 777-X is launched, Airbus would have probably won in economics any way. Note that there is no reason to believe that the 777-9X will sell better than the -300ER, which almost did not sell in the US at all. The 747-8 which is 450 did not sell at ll for all practical purposes. So, 350+ seems to be the sweet spot especially with lighter, clean sheet A350. Not 400+.
ReplyDeleteApparently the 777-9X will now lengthen by 18 inches and more seats will be added. Even heavier further from the sweet spot. An-1100 would then be the response and Airbus will win again in economics.
Your forgetting one important thing, cargo revenue..
ReplyDeleteThat's what really earns the money for carriers,
That's where the 9X really shines, the 350 simply cannot compete. .
The A350-1000 takes 44 LD3 units, while the 777-9 thats significantly larger and more expensive to operate takes 46. Subtract typical baggage loads, and you leave the A350-1000 at 25.3 LD3s, while 24.3 on the 777-9
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