British Airways Welcomes Its 13th Airbus A350-1000

On Saturday, August 27th, British Airways proudly took delivery of its 13th Airbus A350-1000, registered as G-XWBM, and sporting the number 563. This new addition to the fleet falls between an Air France A350-900 (number 562) and a Singapore Airlines A350-900 (number 564).

The aircraft departed Toulouse at 1:16 p.m. local time and landed at 1:44 p.m. after a 1 hour and 28-minute flight. Before its official delivery, the A350 completed four test flights, totaling nearly eight hours in the air. The plane was first spotted on July 4th, performing engine runs and taxi checks, with its inaugural flight taking place on July 22nd.

This A350-1000 is configured with 13 rows across three classes: Club Suites (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), and World Traveller (economy). Notably, this aircraft is company-owned, as opposed to many of British Airways' other A350s, which are leased from various aircraft leasing firms.

British Airways has a total of 18 Airbus A350-1000s on order, with just five remaining from its original 2013 purchase. But the airline’s plans don’t end with the A350. British Airways is also expecting the delivery of 10 more Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, although deliveries have been paused over the past two years. This delay, initially caused by the pandemic, has been compounded by additional scrutiny from Boeing and the FAA.

Despite the pause, five of the undelivered 787-10s have already received manufacturer serial numbers and UK registration numbers: G-ZBLC, ZBLD, ZBLE, ZBLF, and ZBLG. With this continued growth, British Airways is set to expand its long-haul fleet further, providing passengers with even more options for international travel.