Singapore Airlines ready to collect its first A350-900 plane
SINGAPORE -- Singapore Airlines is set to collect its first Airbus A350-900 plane Thursday, as it starts to overhaul its fleet of medium- to long-haul planes.
Channel NewsAsia reports that the airline has just completed its first test flight of Airbus's new long-haul aircraft in its base of Toulouse, France, bringing Singapore a step closer to picking up the brand new plane.
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Singapore Air plans to gradually replace its ageing Boeing 777s with the Airbus planes, and has ordered 67 of the model -- the largest order of any other airline yet.
And when its service to Amsterdam starts on May 9, it'll be the fifth carrier to fly the new aircraft. Qatar Airways was first to start commercial service on the A350 in early-2015, but its inaugural flight from the U.S. in December had an embarrassing aborted takeoff.
Singapore Airlines will also use the new plane to start service to Dusseldorf in July.
The aircraft is Airbus's new long-haul plane, aimed to help the French manufacturer compete with American rival Boeing's long-haul, fuel-efficient offerings like the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliners.
The A350-900 is a massive 325-seater, which uses more light polymer materials in its construction in order to help save fuel. Airbus claims it has an operating range of 7,590 nautical miles.
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Victoria Ho is Mashable's Asia Editor, based in Singapore. She previously reported on news and tech at The Business Times, TechCrunch and ZDNet. When she isn't writing, she's making music with her band
