British Airways’ First A350 to Begin Long-Haul Flights on 2 September 2019

British Airways has confirmed that its first Airbus A350 aircraft will begin long-haul flights on 2 September 2019.

The aircraft is currently being put through extensive service trials before it commences services to Dubai next month, followed by flights to Toronto, Tel Aviv and Bangalore later this year.

Since its arrival on 29 July, the A350 has flown over 15,400 miles between Heathrow and Madrid completing over 40 take-offs and landings to further familiarise the airline’s crew with the service they will deliver on the new aircraft.

In addition to flying short-haul, the airline has also simulated a long-haul flight on the ground at Heathrow. This week, 331 volunteers took part in a trial, giving cabin crew and the inflight entertainment and catering teams the chance to deliver and analyse every aspect of the in-flight service and make any tweaks required ahead of carrying customers from September.

The aircraft features British Airways’ new 56-seat Club Suite offering customers direct-aisle access, a door for greater privacy and luxurious flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. It boasts 40 per cent more storage, including a vanity unit and mirror, WiFi, enviable 18.5-inch inflight entertainment screens, high definition gate-to-gate programming, and PC / USB power.

The three-class A350 also features 56 seats in World Traveller Plus (pictured) and 219 seats in World Traveller, BA’s economy class.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said, “We are delighted to have taken delivery of our first A350 aircraft with our new business class seat, Club Suite. Our teams across the business have been working hard to ensure that every aspect of our customers’ experience meets and exceeds their expectations, as we prepare the A350 for long haul flights this September.”

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