The first Airbus A350-1000 for Japan Airlines was spotted in full livery.
The airline has 13 of the extended A350 variants on order and has already revealed the location of the model’s debut.
At the moment, Japan Airlines only uses one Airbus A350 model: the A350-900. This will alter later this year when the carrier receives the first of its 13 A350-1000 aircraft. On March 3rd, the first of these expanded A350s was observed in Toulouse in full livery, however it still lacks a vital component in its current state.
First A350-1000 for JAL
On Friday, March 3, the first Airbus A350-1000 operated by Japan Airlines was sighted leaving paint shops in Toulouse wearing its full livery. The carrier typically paints its aircraft in a rather unremarkable “Eurowhite,” but the discovery of the fully painted plane brings that customer’s order one step closer.
According to AIB Family Flights, the plane is now flying under the test registration F-WZFM. At some point, it will get the Japanese registration number JA01WJ. The manufacturer serial number (MSN) for this A350 is 610, making it the 610th A350 manufactured by Airbus.
Even though the livery has been applied to the aircraft, it still needs to go through a few important processes before it can start serving Japan Airlines. The two large Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofans that are used to power the jet are the most crucial component (or components).
The aircraft will need to make a number of test flights after the engines are installed. As a point of comparison, MSN 58 4, one of the most recent A350-1000s to be produced, flew four test flights before being delivered to Cathay Pacific as B-LXR. aiming for JFK in New York
Japan Airlines JAL announced that its first Airbus A350-1000 would be used on flights JL6 and JL5 between Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), as well as confirming its Northern Hemisphere winter schedule.
On October 29, 2023, this winter schedule goes into effect. The airline presently operates its Boeing 777-300ERs on this 13,500 km (8,388 mi) service, as we noted at the time. Japan Airlines will raise frequency to twice daily throughout the summer from the once daily service it now provides from Haneda to JFK. Unfortunately, the A350-1000 won’t be ready for use by the time this frequency boost occurs.
Nowadays, Japan Airlines provides regular service out of Tokyo Narita (NRT). Japan Airlines released a statement teasing the public with a brand-new cabin offering a “unique” experience:
We are creating new cabin requirements for international flights with the Airbus A350-1000 to give each and every one of our customers a brand-new, unmatched experience.
On its Haneda-JFK route, Japan Airlines is doing more than just swapping out the Boeing 777-300ER. More generally, the carrier plans to replace the huge Boeing twinjet completely, one for one, with the A350-1000. In fact, the airline is replacing the 13 777-300ERs it now operates with 13 A350-1000s.
