Asiana Airlines takes delivery of first A350 XWB

Asiana Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, which is on lease from Dublin-based SMBC Aviation Capital. The aircraft—part of a six A350 sale-and-leaseback deal—is the first of the type to be operated by a Korean airline. According to Airbus, altogether Asiana has ordered 30 A350s and will initially operate the aircraft on flights from Seoul to Hong Kong and Manila beginning in May. The aircraft are powered by Rolls Royce Trent XWB-84 engines. From Q3 2017, the carrier will deploy the aircraft on premier long-haul routes to Europe and the US, beginning with services from Seoul to London and San Francisco. The A350-900s are configured in a three-class layout with 311 seats, comprising 36 premium economy, 28 business- and 247 economy-class seat. Premium-economy is a new passenger class for Asiana. Asiana Airlines president and CEO Soo-Cheon Kim said the delivery “begins a new chapter in our history bringing significant enhancements to our fleet." <br/>