What is the problem with the A350?

Airbus has changed the design of its A350 flagship jet amid its dispute with Qatar Airways over peeling paint. Airbus has changed the copper foil used on its A350 aircraft, which protects from lightning strikes. In 2021, Qatar Airways sued Airbus over chipped paint that exposes the copper mesh, citing a safety risk.



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Airbus has changed the design of its A350 flagship jet amid its dispute with Qatar Airways over peeling paint. Airbus has changed the copper foil used on its A350 aircraft, which protects from lightning strikes. In 2021, Qatar Airways sued Airbus over chipped paint that exposes the copper mesh, citing a safety risk.

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Cracks in the painted surface exposed gaps in a sublayer of A350 lightning protection, prompting its regulator to ground 29 of the jets. Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, has acknowledged quality flaws but insisted the jets are safe.

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The aircraft incorporates advanced noise reduction technologies and sound-insulating materials to minimize engine noise and vibrations. The result is an overall remarkably quiet cabin environment.

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Overall, the Airbus A350 is a great aircraft for airline pilots, with a number of advantages and disadvantages. According to Commercial Pilot, the aircraft is incredibly fuel-efficient, has a spacious flight deck, and is equipped with advanced systems that reduce pilot workload.

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The Bottom Line: The Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 are very similar aircraft, suited for similar missions. As one would expect, the slightly larger A350-900 has a seat-mile cost advantage, while the 787-9 has an advantage in cost per block hour. These aircraft are competitive, and nearly tie in economic performance.

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The Boeing 777X is a larger aircraft For twins, Boeing will dominate in terms of capacity. The larger 777-9 offers a typical two-class capacity of 426 seats; this compares with 369 for the A350-1000. The 777-8 will be in a similar league as the A350-1000, with a capacity of around 390.

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While the 777X offers unrivalled dimensions, advanced materials, and cutting-edge engine technology, the A350 shines with its lightweight composite airframe, advanced aerodynamics, and superior fuel efficiency.

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Aerodynamics. Talking of the wings, they play a massive part in the aerodynamic gains in the A350 design. What makes them so special is the way they've been designed to morph in flight, changing shape for maximum aerodynamic efficiency throughout the different phases of the journey.

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The A350 offers the ultimate passenger experience even on the longest of flights. Its innovative design delivers a true feeling of spaciousness, with wide seats, high ceilings and alluring ambient lighting.

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Qatar Airways grounded Airbus A350s over what it described as fuselages “degrading at an accelerated rate” in the long-range aircraft. The airline had raised questions about the A350s' carbon composite fuselage, designed to make the twin-aisle aircraft lighter and cheaper to operate by burning less jet fuel.

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“The perfectly curved shape of the nose helps the air flow hug the surface, in the least turbulent manner, thereby reducing drag. The emblematic “Ray-Ban” like black windshield eases the window's maintenance and contributes to harmonising the thermal condition of this temperature-sensitive window area.

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Range and flexibility. Surprisingly, for all its size, the A380 can't go as far as the A350. The A350-1000 can travel more than 1,000 km (540 NM) further than the A380. Singapore Airlines has a special 'ultra-long-range' (ULR) A350-900, which operates on the longest route in the world, from Singapore to New York JFK.

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Haven't flown those on BA, but the A350 is much quieter than the B777 and would be my choice for that reason alone. You're also likely to have a newer cabin, unless BA refurbished the 777s. Our flight between Denver and Heathrow is on an A350.

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On an Airbus A350, you can be flying at 35,000 to 40,000 feet, but the cabin will be at around 5,500 feet. (On a conventional aluminium aircraft, the cabin will be around 8,000 feet.) This helps with the effects of jet lag and how you feel after a flight too. It's less fatiguing.

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The A350 XWB is Airbus' shiny, sexy twin-engined plane, built with combination of carbon composites, titanium and aluminium. It's powered by two ultra-quiet Rolls Royce engines. Its 'extra-wide' cabin is designed to make passengers feel as comfortable one can without flying in a private jet.

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It has been reported that the A350 is quieter than the B787, primarily due to the automatic Noise Abatement Departure Procedure (NADP) for the optimization of the engine thrust and flight path to reduce noise and the fuel-efficient engine. The other giant airplane, A380, is also known to have a quiet cabin.

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