Emirates airline takes delivery of first Airbus A350

Emirates airline took delivery on Monday 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. The plane is embarking on its ferry flight from Toulouse to Dubai on Monday at 4pm UAE time, the airline said. The delivery flight was powered by a blend of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel. The A350 will enter commercial service in January when it makes its debut flight to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, followed by eight other destinations across the Middle East, West Asia and Europe. "Once the Emirates A350 lands in Dubai, the aircraft will receive its finishing touches at Emirates Engineering before being officially unveiled at a special event later this week," the airline said. The Emirates' A350-900, registered as A6-EXA, is the first from an order of 65 A350 aircraft, deliveries which were supposed to start in August and continue for the next three and half years. However, the handover of its first A350 model was postponed several times this year. The delays stemmed from a combination of supply chain issues for parts including seats and the in-flight entertainment, as well as technical testing of items on board the aircraft while on the ground and in the air, Adnan Kazim, deputy president and CCO of Emirates, told The National in October.<br/>