Pictures and video: Sheikh Mohammed tours Emirates’ first Airbus A350

Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited Dubai International Airport, to review Emirates’ latest aircraft type to join the airline’s fleet, Dubai Media Office announced Wednesday.

Emirates took delivery of its first long-delayed Airbus A350-900 wide-body jet in Toulouse, marking the first new aircraft model to join its fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s since 2008. This is the first of the 65 A350s Emirates will recieve from Airbus in the coming years. 

After making its maiden voyage to Dubai, it went straight to the Emirates Engineering Centre to receive its final touches. The first Emirates A350 aircraft will fly to Edinburgh for its first commercial service on January 3, and will subsequently serve eight other cities in the Midde East/GCC, West Asia and Europe before the end of 2025, Emirates has said. 

Sheikh Mohammed was briefed on the airline’s A350 network plans by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. He was also briefed and how the latest aircraft type will fit into Emirates’ broader fleet expansion and network growth.

The leaders also discussed investments in product in the coming years that will enhance the customer journey in the air, reinforcing Emirates’ and Dubai’s industry leadership when it comes to the traveller experience, the DMO statement said. The Dubai Ruler also reviewed the aircraft’s eco-friendly design and reduced carbon footprint due to its innovative structure, which lowers fuel consumption.

Seventy per cent of the A350’s airframe is made of advanced materials including 53% composites, which are lighter and more robust than those used on previous aircraft designs.

Sheikh Mohammed also commended the efforts of the team driving the continuous progress of the airline, which now competes for the top rankings in passenger service quality, comfort, and safety.

He also emphasised the UAE's commitment to advancing global competitiveness in air travel and aviation.

The Emirates Group is the biggest player in Dubai’s aviation sector, contributing Dh5 billion in GVA, or 15% of the emirate’s GDP, while supporting a workforce of 114,000 people.

Aviation is a strategic enabler for Dubai and vital to the city’s ambition to become a top global destination for tourism, commerce, and investments. The airline’s growth plans are in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, as the emirate seeks to expand its economic footprint by more than 400 cities.

Emirates is set to play a crucial role in D33 by expanding its global network, supported by aircraft like the A350, to enable greater access to foreign markets previously out of reach. This will ultimately support the government’s vision of making the emirate a global business and investment hub across a myriad of sectors, and setting benchmarks for the new global economy.

The handover of its first A350 model was postponed several times this year. Emirates expects to receive eight A350s by the end of its financial year, which runs from April 1 to March 31. The airline said it had invested about $48 million in advanced equipment and systems to train pilots and cabin crew on the Airbus A350 aircraft.

The Dubai carrier has ordered three full-flight simulators, with the training device replicating the A350's flight deck and using visual and audio systems to make training sessions as realistic as possible, Emirates said last month.

The airline said it has trained about 30 pilots and 820 cabin crew members for its new aircraft model. By the end of November, more than 50 pilots will have completed their training on the A350 full-flight simulators, before the aircraft’s entry into service.