Emirates has officially unveiled the very first Airbus A350-900 to join its fleet at an exclusive event showcase in Dubai on Wednesday.
The Emirates A350 is the first new aircraft type to join Emirates’ fleet since 2008. Apart from its newly delivered A350, Emirates operates two other aircraft types around the world to 140 destinations- the wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft and the iconic ‘double decker’ Airbus A380 aircraft.
The airline plans to make its first scheduled commercial A350 flight to Edinburgh on 3 January 2025.
Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline; Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy attended the unveiling ceremony among many others. Guests were able to experience the aircraft’s interiors, equipped with its next generation products and latest technologies.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “The 65 Emirates A350s joining our fleet in the coming years fit into the airline’s broader plans to support our visionary leadership’s Dubai’s D33 Strategy, which will transform the city into a pivotal hub in the global economy by expanding its connectivity and reach.”
Phillipe Mhun, Executive Vice President Programmes and Services for Airbus said: “Marking a new chapter for Airbus, we expect the A350 to become an integral member of the Emirates’ fleet and support its continued growth and sustainability ambitions.”
The Emirates A350 features three spacious cabin classes, accommodating 312 passengers in 32 next-generation Business Class lie-flat seats, 21 Premium Economy seats and 259 generously pitched Economy Class seats.
Economy Class comes with new features that will significantly improve customer experience like improved seats looks, brand new 6-way adjustable allowing customers the option of sleep with full neck support, complimentary snacks on select routes.
Emirates A350, Premium Economy Class has been designed to provide an exclusive and intimate feel for customers.
Emirates A350 luxurious Business Class seats come with more improved features. The Business Class ensures a very private, exclusive experience where customers can enjoy the latest iteration of the Emirates Experience - lie-flat seats, 4k ice screen, minibar, improved storage, inflight shopping and an abundance of food and beverages served with world class Emirates hospitality.
In addition, Emirates A 350 will offer extra high ceilings and wider aisles in all classes. The A350 galley area is notably spacious. Storage has been improved on the Emirates A350, with compartmentalized pockets and larger overhead storage bins.
The Emirates A350 takes technology to another level. Customers can now adjust their electric window blinds at the touch of a button. Customers will also enjoy new touchscreen call bell buttons for cabin crew service, on the ice inflight entertainment screens. Other features include the ability to instantly view inflight menu on passenger’s screen, digital newspapers and magazines from around the world among many others.
Emirates Inflight Entertainment on ice will offer a cinematic display to Emirates customers, this includes the best picture quality on any aircraft ultra-responsive touchscreens and a vast media selection—up to triple the current content capacity. Customers will also enjoy many other handy new features.
Marking a first in aviation history, the Emirates A350 will feature a high performance, new generation antennae. Customers will enjoy uninterrupted global connectivity across all destinations.
Emirates’ cabin crews have received specialized training to ensure the airline’s signature customer experiences are delivered consistently onboard the Emirates A350.
Bd-Pratidin English/ Afsar Munna
