DUBAI- UAE’s flag carrier, Emirates Airlines (EK) has delayed the inaugural flight of its newest aircraft type, Airbus A350, due to delays with delivery.
In May, Emirates announced its plan to debut the A350 on the Bahrain (BAH) route in September, with a total of 10 of these advanced aircraft joining the fleet by the end of March next year. The A350 will feature a three-class configuration, offering business class, premium economy, and economy seats.
Emirates Delays A350 Flights
This week, Emirates updated its flight schedule, postponing the A350’s debut to November 4. Here are the updated Emirates A350 scheduled operations as reported by Aeroroutes:
- Dubai to Edinburgh: Starting November 4 (Unchanged)
- Dubai to Bahrain: Starting November 15 (Previously September 15)
- Dubai to Kuwait: Starting November 15 (Previously September 16)
- Dubai to Ahmedabad: Starting January 1, 2025 (Previously October 27)
- Dubai to Bologna: Starting January 1, 2025 (Previously December 1)
- Dubai to Bombay: Starting January 1, 2025 (Previously October 27)
- Dubai to Colombo: Starting January 2, 2025 (Previously January 1, 2025)
- Dubai to Lyon: Starting March 1, 2025 (Previously December 1, 2025)
- Dubai to Muscat: Starting March 1, 2025 (Previously December 1, 2025)
This news coincides with Airbus revealing a reduction in its aircraft delivery target for this year and postponing the planned increase in monthly production rates for its A320 model due to supply chain challenges.
Emirates expanded its order of the larger A350 model at last year’s Dubai Air Show, aiming to enhance its fleet, which currently centers around the A380 and the Boeing 777.
Why its Delayed?
According to some reports, the Emirates A350 will include the new seats manufactured by Safran. The delays are possibly due to this new interior.
Well, the Dubai-based carrier has not yet revealed the details about its new business class. There is high possibility that these seats integration inside the A350 causing the issues with delivery schedule.
Furthermore, Boeing 777X which will be the flagship aircraft in Emirates fleet is also facing delays with certification. Some CEOs has raised concerns over the delivery timeline, which can slip into 2026.
Emirates, Airbus, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have collaborated to train 256 pilots from July 2024 in Dubai. The CBTA Training will be conducted in 2 phases and will be provided for 20 days in Simulator and 15 days will include other sessions.
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The post Emirates has Delayed Inaugural Flight of New Airbus A350 appeared first on Aviation A2Z.