A350-800 remains scheduled for delivery in September 2016.

The orders of the A350-800 model are only being cancelled or converted to bigger models -900 or -1000. With a backlog of just 84 aircraft and a spate of cancellations and conversions to the larger A350-900, many observers are waiting Airbus action with the smaller model. US Airways, the type’s largest customer, could convert to the A350-900 their orders if the merger with American go through, in order to avoid overlap with the 787-9.

Instead of cancelling the A350-800 model, Airbus would likely shift the sequence of the entry-into-service of the A350; right now, only one A350-800 is scheduled for delivery in September 2016 (to lessor ILFC), according to one data base, with several more following in 2017–when the more popular A350-1000 is scheduled to enter service.

Airbus officially says no re-sequence has been made; “No change in sequence A350-900 EIS H2 2014, A350-800 EIS mid-2016 and A350-1000 mid-2017,” said a spokesperson.


Based on the article “Analyzing A350 backlog” published in Leeham News