TOULOUSE, France - Air Caraïbes has taken delivery of a new Airbus A350-900, the first French airline to operate the type. The aircraft, leased from AerCap, was delivered during a ceremony held at the Airbus Delivery Center in Toulouse on February 28. It will take off at 14:00 heading for Paris Orly Sud before embarking on its first commercial flight to Pointe-a-Pitre and Fort-de-France on March 2.
Air Caraïbes plans to operate its A350 XWB alongside the A330s it already has in service on its Paris/Caribbean routes. This A350-900 can accommodate 389 passengers in a three-class configuration (18 in Business, 45 in Premium Economy and 326 in Economy). The "Airspace by Airbus" cabin, combined with its new lighting system, reduces the effects of jet lag on long-haul flights, Airbus says.
To date, orders for 821 A350 XWBs have been placed with Airbus by 44 customers around the world, making this one of the most successful programs ever in the long-range aircraft segment.