Japan Airlines sign first order with Airbus – for the A350

TOKYO - Japan Airlines (JAL) has signed its first purchase agreement with Airbus - for 31 A350 XWBs (18 A350-900s and 13 A350-1000s), plus options for a further 25 aircraft. JAL and Airbus aim for entry into service from 2019, with the airline's A350 XWBs replacing its ageing fleet over a six-year period.

In a typical three-class layout the A350-900 seats more than 300 passengers on routes as long as 8,100 nautical miles (nm). The A350-1000 is the largest member of the A350 XWB family, seating 350 passengers on routes up to 8,400 nm. All A350 XWB models are equipped with the new Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. www.jal.com (ATI).