Air France is preparing to put its 7th Airbus A350 into service next month. The French airline already renamed the plane before its first flight in Toulouse this week. This A350-900 will not be the last to enter the market at all. The airline expects at least 31 additional units this decade.
A suitable name
The aircraft is named after Reims, the most populous city in the department of Marne, in the Grand Est region of France. Air France has a history of calling its A350 aircraft after French city names. F-HTYG will join the company of Toulouse, Lyon, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, Nice, Bordeaux and Marseille when it reaches the sky for the operator.
On the way to the first flight 😎 Msn 479 will become F-HTYG for @AirFranceFR# a350 #French air #airbus pic.twitter.com/nVzjHMXoQc
– Philippe DURAND (@ A318111) January 28, 2021
France Bleu points out that commercial services for this aircraft are scheduled to begin in March 2021. After that, many more additions will take place in the coming years. In all, Air France is planning to take a total of 38 units by 2025. They will be well deployed on long-haul routes on all continents. Passengers flying to countries like the United States, Mali and Thailand can be transported on the widebody.
Eurofilms documented the plane’s first flight in Toulouse Blagnac this week in the video below:
A strong presence
Air France’s A350s will play a prominent role in this decade, after the retirement of the company’s A380 aircraft. Last May, the airline announced the retirement of its remaining nine superjumbo units. This event was initially planned for 2022, but the pandemic brought plans forward.
Just before the emergence of the global health crisis, the Air France-KLM Group confirmed that it had decided to place a firm order for an additional 10 A350-900. Air France-KLM Group CEO Benjamin Smith spoke about the advantages of the aircraft. In all, your company expects the efficiency benefits that can be obtained.
“Streamlining and modernizing the fleet is fundamental to our effort to regain our leading position in Europe,” Smith said in a press release seen by Simple Flying.
“This will strengthen our performance from an economic and operational point of view and help us to fulfill our ambitious sustainability agenda. Offering a 25% reduction in fuel consumption compared to previous generation aircraft, the Airbus A350-900 is a jewel of European experience and a favorite of passengers. We are excited to see it become an essential asset of the Air France fleet. “
Hope for the future
Overall, despite the harsh climate amid travel restrictions amid the pandemic, all Air France A350s are still active. Once conditions improve, Air France will have no problem putting its incoming units into use worldwide.
Simple Flying contacted Air France for further details on its Airbus A350 aircraft delivery plans. We will update the article with any other airline announcements.
What do you think of Air France’s Airbus A350 aircraft? Have you flown in any of the carrier’s units in the past? Let us know what you think of the type in the comments section.