DUBAI- The Flag carrier of UAE, Emirates (EK) takes delivery of its first Airbus A350, registered as A6-EXA, initiating a significant fleet modernization program.
This delivery marks Emirates’ first new aircraft type introduction since 2008, with 64 additional A350s scheduled for future delivery.
Emirates A350 Delivery
The handover ceremony occurred in Toulouse, with the aircraft scheduled to depart for Dubai at 1600 hours local time. Aviation enthusiasts can track A6-EXA’s inaugural journey to Dubai via Flight Radar 24.
Emirates Engineering will complete final aircraft preparations in Dubai before its official unveiling ceremony this week. The delivery flight operates using a combined fuel mixture of conventional jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The A350 commences commercial operations in January, launching with Edinburgh service. The aircraft’s network expands to include eight additional destinations across Europe, the Middle East, and West Asia.
First Routes
Emirates has adjusted the introduction schedule for its Airbus A350-900XWB fleet, delaying its first deployment from December 16, 2024, to January 15, 2025, according to the latest update from Aeroroutes. This change impacts multiple routes across the airline’s global network.
Edinburgh (EDI) will now become the first destination for the A350, with services starting on January 15, 2025. Previously scheduled to launch on December 16, 2024, the route will temporarily rely on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft between December 16, 2024, and January 14, 2025.
In February 2025, Emirates will expand A350 operations to include Ahmedabad (AMD) and Mumbai (BOM), both delayed from their original January 16, 2025 start dates. Additional February rollouts will see the aircraft servicing Bahrain (BAH) and Kuwait City (KWI).
The network expansion continues into March 2025, when A350 flights begin to Colombo (CMB) on March 1 and Bologna (BLQ) on March 15.
Emirates’ Airbus A350-900 features a three-class cabin design, accommodating 312 passengers. The layout includes 32 flatbed seats in business class, arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, 21 premium economy seats, and 259 economy seats.
The airline has ordered 65 A350-900 aircraft and expects to receive 10 of them by March 2025.
Pilot, Cabin Crew, and Engineers Training
Emirates Airline has completed the training of its first group of engineers to support the upcoming Airbus A350-900 fleet. The milestone, achieved by October 2024, was marked with a celebratory event where the batch cut a cake inscribed with “FIRST AIRBUS A350 EK TYPE TRAINING.”
The airline has also made significant progress in preparing its flight and cabin crew. By October 10, 2024, Emirates announced the training of 30 pilots and 820 cabin crew members for the A350-900. The training pipeline remains active, with over 50 additional pilots expected to complete their courses by this month.
To support this initiative, Emirates invested $48 million in cutting-edge training equipment tailored for its A350 fleet. This investment includes three full-flight simulators, a fixed-base training device, and advanced cabin emergency evacuation and door trainers.
Highlighting the quality of its training infrastructure, Emirates’ first A350 full-flight simulator achieved Level D qualification—the highest standard—from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), with zero findings.
As part of its broader fleet modernization and expansion strategy, Emirates plans to operate 65 A350s alongside 205 Boeing 777Xs. The airline is constructing a 63,318-square-foot pilot training facility to accommodate its growing needs. This facility will house six full-flight simulator bays dedicated to the A350 and Boeing 777X fleets, expanding Emirates’ total simulator count to 17.
Once operational, the expanded facilities will support an annual capacity of 130,000 training hours, reinforcing Emirates’ commitment to operational excellence and its reputation as a global aviation leader.
Feature Image by Clément Alloing | Flickr
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