Hong Kong Airlines takes delivery of A350 XWB

Hong Kong Airlines has taken delivery of its first A350-900, making it the 15th airline worldwide to operate the newest model of twin-aisle aircraft, Airbus China confirmed Saturday.

Hong Kong Airlines will acquire 21 Airbus A350 XWB, including 15 purchased directly from Airbus and six on lease from third party lessors, said Airbus China.

Hong Kong Airlines has configured the A350-900 with a three-class layout. It has a total of 334 seats, made up of 33 in business class, 108 in premium economy and 193 in economy class.

After initially flying regional routes, Hong Kong Airline’s A350-900 will begin long haul operations in December 2017, starting with the carrier’s non-stop service to Los Angeles.

The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines, which offer the model with operational efficiency, according to Airbus.

To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 848 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 45 customers worldwide.

With 287 firm orders for the A350 from carriers in Asia-Pacific, the region represents over a third of total sales for the aircraft to date.

According to Airbus Global Market Forecast 2017-2036, the number of passenger aircraft with more than 100 seats will increase to 40,000 planes in the next 20 years, with Asia Pacific identified as the main “engine”.