Summary

• Air France has transitioned to operating the Airbus A350 exclusively to streamline pilot training and reduce costs.
• The Air France-KLM group's recent order of 50 Airbus A350-900s will make it the world's largest operator of the type.
• The A350-900 operates in two configurations, with one being significantly more premium-heavy than the other.

Air France operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, both narrowbody and widebody models. The latest addition to the fleet is the Airbus A350 Xtra Wide Body (XWB). The airline has opted for the A350-900 variant and utilizes the model on its transatlantic and Asia-Pacific routes.

Injecting new life

Air France'sAirbus widebody fleet has consisted of theA330-200 andA380, the latter of which were retired during the pandemic. In June 2013, the airline decided to start a new chapter in its Airbus widebody journey and ordered the brand-newA350-XWB.

Air France-KLMgroup's initial order was for 28 aircraft, with 21 going to Air France and seven to KLM. However, in 2020, it was decided that Air France would be the exclusive operator of the A350, and KLM would instead operate the sevenBoeing 787-10 Dreamliners Air France ordered.

The switch was made to simplify the fleets of both airlines and reduce the costs associated with pilot training. The A350 has a common type rating with the A330, allowing pilots to switch to the former without a full simulator session in just eight days.

The first aircraft, registered F-HTYA, was delivered to Air France on September 27th, 2019. Air France names most of their aircraft and has given every A350 its unique name. The first was named Toulouse, after the city and the location of the Airbus A350 assembly line.

From the 28 aircraft made in its initial order, the airline has received 27 aircraft. Twenty of these aircraft are in the C34W24Y266 configuration, while the latest seven are in the C48W32Y212 configuration.

The table below shows Air France’s current A350-900 fleet information fromPlanespotters.net:

Latest order

In September 2023, Air France-KLM made a second order for more A350-900s after the successful launch and utilization of the current fleet. The primary order is for 50 examples, with options for 40 more. The order will make the group the largest operator of the type.

Details are still hidden, but the order contains a mix of -900 and -1000 variants. We know the group expects Airbus to deliver the first aircraft from this order in 2026 and complete the order by 2030.

The two orders are a part of the airline's efforts to replace its aging widebody fleet. It mainly consists of 15 A330-200 and 63 Boeing 777s, which have an average age of 21.4 and 17.9 years, respectively.

Configurations

As mentioned, Air France operates the A350-900 in two configurations: the 34J-24W-266M and the 48J-32W-212M, known as Type 1 and 2, respectively. According to AeroLOPA, these are the features of each configuration.

Type 1

This configuration has 34 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 266 economy seats. Here are thedetails for each cabin:

• Business class:
  • 34 Safran Optima seats in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration. These 20-inch wide, lie-flat seats convert to a bed that's 6 feet 7 inches long.
  • For storage space, the passenger has a small cupboard built-in and additional storage in the footwell.
  • Each seat offers uninterrupted access to the aisle.
  • Each pod has an 18.5-inch HD in-flight entertainment touchscreen.
  • Each seat has a universal power outlet, a USB-A, and a USB-C port.

• Premium economy:
  • 24 Recaro PL3530 seats arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration. The seats are 19 inches wide and recline 8 inches or 124 degrees, with a row pitch of 38 inches.
  • Each seat features lumbar support, a footrest, and an individual goose-neck reading light.
  • There's no dedicated storage space for premium economy passengers.
  • Each seat has a 13.3-inch HD touchscreen.
  • Each seat has a universal power outlet, a USB-A, and a USB-C port.

• Economy:
  • 266 Safran Z300 seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration across two separate cabins, with rows 16-28 in one and 30-44 in the other. The seats are 17.3 inches wide and recline 118 degrees, with a row pitch of 31 inches.
  • Each seat has an 11.7-inch HD touchscreen.
  • Each seat has a universal power outlet and a USB-A.

A Zodiac Rave system provides in-flight entertainment, and onboard WiFi is courtesy of the Inmarsat GX Aviation 2Ku-band satellite WiFi system. The entire cabin features LED-ambient lighting as well.

Type 2

This configuration features 48 business class seats, 32 premium, and 212 economy seats. The exact specifications aren't available, but these are thedetails from AeroLOPA.

The business class and premium economy seats are different in this configuration.

Business class seats are the bespoke seats built for the Air France A350 by Stelia Opera and feature privacy doors and an induction charging station, both of which are missing on the Type 1. The premium economy seats are Collins Aerospace MiQ seats.

• 

  Air France

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  AF/AFR

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport

  Year Founded:

  1933

  Alliance:

  SkyTeam

  Airline Group:

  Air France-KLM

  CEO:

  Anne Rigail

  Country:

  France

  Region:

  Europe

• 

  Airbus

  Stock Code:

  AIR

  Date Founded:

  1970-12-18

  CEO:

  Guillaume Faury

  Headquarters Location:

  Toulouse, France

  Key Product Lines:

  Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380

  Business Type:

  Planemaker