The Airbus A350 family has become synonymous with long-haul travel,
earning its reputation as a staple widebody for many airlines across Europe and Asia. As Airbus'
own latest clean-sheet addition, the A350 emerged as a fresh, design, originally intended to offer
three distinct variants: the A350-1000, the A350-900, and the smaller variant A350-800.
Although the -1000 and -900 variants of the A350 made it to production,
Airbus decided not to proceed with the smallest. So, what happened?
Prior to the introduction of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2004, Airbus had been in the
process of developing their next widebody aircraft, drawing inspiration from the A330
but incorporating novel features like advanced engines and a partial carbon fiber structure.
However, with the arrival of the 787 and its positive reception among airlines,
Airbus found itself reassessing original plans.
It announced a revised clean-sheet A350 XWB (Extra Wide Body) at the 2006 Farnborough Air
Show with three distinct variants featuring a fully redesigned composite fuselage,
a composite wing with blended winglets, and new engines.
To begin their A350 series, Airbus commenced with the development of the A350-900,
which would serve as the initial iteration. Recognizing the need for extended range and
increased seating capacity, they subsequently introduced the -1000 variant and crafted the
-800 variant to cater to airlines seeking a greater range with a reduced passenger capacity.
The A350-800, originally envisioned as the smallest variant of the family,
was designed to accommodate approximately 276 passengers in a typical three-class configuration.
This was somewhat lower than 300-350 for the A350-900 and 350-410 for the A350-1000.
The A350-800 would have been just over six meters shorter than the A350-900 and would have boasted a
range of 8,245 nautical miles (15,270 kilometers). While the backlog for the A350 reached a
substantial 182 orders by mid-2008, the demand for the smaller variant steadily
declined starting from 2010 as customers began transitioning to the larger A350-900 model.
Seeing the decline of the -800, Airbus officials revealed that it had been considering a larger
version of the A350-800. But this meant that customers had to face a choice: accept aircraft
at the current 276-seat specification or wait a couple of years for a possibly larger version.
Ultimately, the larger -800 version did not materialize as the aircraft manufacturer's
primary emphasis was on the timely introduction of the -1000 variant (as it had more orders).
The actual end of the A350-800 was when the European plane maker introduced the A330neo. After
launching the A330neo at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow, Airbus' former CEO Fabrice Brégier said,
"I believe all of our customers will either convert to the A350-900 or the A330neo."
The A330-900 presented a capacity comparable to that of the A350-800,
making it a viable alternative. Moreover, numerous airlines had already incorporated
A330-200 or A330-300 aircraft into their fleets, making for an easier transition to the neo family.
Did you know about the A350-800? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!
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