The Airbus A350 competes directly against Boeing’s 777 and the 787 Dreamliner, but offers creature comforts such as a higher cabin pressure.
The Airbus A350 is one of the most modern airliners in today’s skies. The wide-bodied A350 is a technologically advanced, long-haul airliner that directly competes with Boeing offerings like the 777 and the 787 Dreamliner. Indeed, it was Boeing’s development of the Dreamliner that prompted Airbus to develop the A350. Initially, Airbus proposed that the plane would be a re-engined and re-winged version of its A330 airliner. However, a lack of market backing in the project saw Airbus taking the plunge and developing the A350 from scratch. This gave the company a blank canvas on which to let its engineers run loose. The result was a highly advanced aircraft that considerably improved passenger and crew comfort. Importantly, it also gave airliners an aircraft that was highly efficient, delivering 25% fuel savings when compared to older aircraft like the Boeing 777 range.
Ultimately, it was the decision to design the plane from scratch that enabled the advancements that place the Airbus A350 as one of the best airliners for long flights. This approach sidestepped the compromises that often have to be made when upgrading an existing model — Boeing’s troubled 737 Max program is an extreme example of how badly this can go wrong. As a result, Airbus created an aircraft from scratch that not only delivered increased passenger comfort but also delivered significant advantages for the crew and airlines. Let’s take a closer look at these advantages and the engineering that achieved them.
