Air France has taken delivery of its latest aircraft, the Airbus A350-900 at the Airbus delivery center in Toulouse France. This aircraft is the first of 28 A350-900s to be delivered to Air France by 2025.
Air France Statement
Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France said, “The arrival of a new aircraft is always a unique and highly emotional occasion in the life of an airline. Along with all Air France staff, we are extremely proud to welcome the Airbus A350, one of the world’s most efficient long-haul aircraft in terms of environmental, economic and operational performance. As from October 7, our customers will be able to discover optimal comfort and service on board these new cabins.
The arrival of this first A350 marks a new phase in Air France’s fleet modernization strategy. Within 5 years, more than half of the company’s fleet will be made up of new-generation aircraft!”
Focussing on Reducing the Air France Environmental Footprint
Air France has committed to reducing its environmental footprint and the A350 is just another step in that mission. They have employed various measures including:
- On-board weight reduction
- Reducing and recycling waste
- The use of “eco-piloting”
- Noise footprint reduction
- Using alternatives to single-use plastic items
- Reducing CO2 emissions
The A350-900 will enable Air France to reduce fuel consumption by 25% to 2.5 liters per passenger for every 100 km flown (62 miles). This is achieved through new engine technology and using weight reducing materials like composites and titanium.
Onboard Comfort
The A350-900 provides Air France passengers with a more spacious cabin throughout the plane in all travel classes. The Windows are 30% larger than the aircraft that it will replace. Air quality during a flight will use a different air pressure system with regularly renewed cabin air. The cabin lighting can be adjusted for the different phases of flight.
The Business Class Cabin
The business class cabin has seating for 34 passengers using the Zodiac Optima seat featuring:
- 2-meter lie-flat bed
- 18.5-inch HD touchscreen IFE with over 1,400 hours of entertainment
- A shared travel experience of optimum privacy using a removable partition wall
The Premium Economy Cabin
In premium economy, passengers will enjoy a new recliner seat that is almost 19 inches wide and a pitch of almost 39 inches. The seat reclines to 124 degrees and features a 13.3-inch HD touchscreen.
The Economy Cabin
The economy cabin seating design includes an ergonomic seat cushion, 118 degrees of recline with a seat pitch of just over 31 inches.
Air France A350-900 Seat Map
This aircraft has 324 seats configured as:
- 34 business
- 24 premium ecomony
- 266 economy
Air France CONNECT Wi-Fi
Air France CONNECT will allow passengers to access three different Wi-Fi passes:
- A free “Message” pass allows all passengers to send and receive messages throughout the flight
- A “Surf” pass costing 3 to 18 euros depending on flight duration will provide internet and email access
- A “Stream” pass will provide high-speed internet access. The Stream pass will cost 30 euros for a duration of up to 10,000 miles
The Air France A350 Destinations and Route Map
Air France will start flying the A350 in revenue service beginning on October 7, 2019, departing from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). Here is the destination list:
- Abidjan (Ivory Coast) from October 7, 2019 through December 8, 2019. Seasonal service will resume on February 10, 2020
- Bamako (Mali) from October 7, 2019 through December 8, 201. Seasonal service will resume on February 10, 2020
- Toronto (Canada) begins October 27, 2019
- Cairo (Egypt) begins on December 9, 2019
- Seoul (South Korea) starts on December 9, 2019
- Bangkok (Thailand) service will have 2020 summer season service
It’s great to see Air France modernize its’ fleet with a focus on reducing its environmental footprint. The Airbus A350 is on my list of “must fly” aircraft and I am looking forward to booking a flight on this new aircraft.
