Yann Arnould
- 25/06/2025
Yann Arnould
25/06/2025
At the 2025 Paris Air Show, Emirates showcased one of its newest aircraft: the Airbus A350-900, recently integrated into its fleet and already deployed on several medium-haul routes. Flightreviews.net had the opportunity to examine the seventh aircraft delivered to the airline, out of a total of 65 A350s on order. This aircraft features a tri-class configuration comprising Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy.
Having entered commercial service in early 2025, Emirates' Airbus A350 is part of the airline's fleet modernization strategy to meet growing demand on extended medium-haul destinations. As of June 2025, the aircraft serves destinations from Dubai including Edinburgh, Mumbai, Colombo, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tunis, and Lyon.
Contrary to the industry's common practice where the A350 is primarily used for long-haul routes, Emirates currently operates it on shorter routes, reserving its Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft for long and ultra-long-haul segments. This approach is confirmed by the absence of crew rest areas on these A350s, thus limiting operations to the most distant destinations.
Nevertheless, Emirates has indicated that some of the 65 A350s on order could be configured for long-haul operations. The airline does not rule out opening A350 routes to destinations such as Adelaide, Australia, in the future.
From boarding, the interior design stands out with a premium atmosphere that is both elegant and bright. The three cabins adopt a palette of cream and bronze tones, punctuated by the ghaf tree motif, the national emblem of the United Arab Emirates. The overall atmosphere emphasizes brightness and refines the premium experience.
Numerous carefully crafted details enrich the experience: window surrounds with wood finishes, botanical patterns on window shades, and overhead bin handles with gold finishes. These customization elements reinforce the airline's visual identity throughout the journey.
The Business Class offers 32 "S Lounge seats" in a 1-2-1 configuration, ensuring direct aisle access for each passenger.
The embroidered cream leather seats recline completely horizontal to form a fully flat bed.
Each seat features an adjustable headrest, a personal minibar, a control tablet for the 20-inch 4K entertainment screen, extensive storage spaces, and new features such as wireless charging and Bluetooth connectivity for personal headphones.
A self-service area located at the rear of the cabin allows passengers to help themselves to snacks, an adapted version of the famous bar found on the airline's A380s.
It should be noted that this Business product shows similarities to Emirates' current offering on A380s and certain Boeing 777s. While many airlines take advantage of A350 introduction to offer revolutionary products, Emirates prioritizes homogeneity and consistency with its existing fleet. The absence of doors and high partitions limits privacy, contrasting with the market trend toward ultra-premium Business Class products approaching First Class standards, particularly on aircraft that do not offer First Class.
Emirates justifies this choice by the nature of the routes served (between 1 and 7 hours of flight), although other airlines deploy their premium products on flights of similar or even shorter duration. This is notably the case with Qatar Airways and its Qsuite deployed on certain flights of barely one hour. Emirates does not, however, rule out offering a differentiated product on some of the 65 expected A350s, better suited to long-haul operations. Emirates' order book, comprising 205 Boeing 777X and 35 Boeing 787 aircraft, could also motivate future evolution of the Business Class hard product.
Initially deployed on the A380, Emirates' Premium Economy class also equips the A350-900. With 21 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration (rather than the more common 2-4-2 configuration), this cabin offers leather seats inspired by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The seats, wider than in Economy Class, integrate adjustable headrests, padded leg rests and footrests, with generous spacing.
The aesthetics adopt the premium codes of Business Class, notably the wood finishes and cream leather. Each seat features a 13.3-inch 4K Bluetooth-compatible screen.
Even the lavatories on this A350 reflect the care taken with the passenger experience: wood finishes, textured elements, and refined details extend the cabin's premium universe, illustrating Emirates' desire to offer aesthetic consistency down to the smallest corners of the aircraft.
Economy class features 259 seats in a traditional 3-3-3 configuration. Far from the austerity sometimes associated with this cabin, the layout emphasizes space, brightness, and freshness. Sky blue accents have been selected to reinforce the sensation of spaciousness and clarity.
The seats integrate generously sized tray tables, USB ports, adjustable leather headrests, and an entertainment system with a 13.3-inch 4K Bluetooth-compatible touchscreen.
Emirates introduces with this aircraft an enhanced version of its ice entertainment system, equipped with advanced interactive features. Passengers can create playlists via the Emirates app before the flight, connect their Bluetooth headphones or smartphones to control the screen, or resume content interrupted during a previous flight. The screens also integrate a blue light reduction function, optimizing visual comfort before rest.
The A350 would benefit from improved Wi-Fi facilitating connectivity, even on moderate-duration segments. Emirates Skyward loyalty program members have free access to instant messaging services throughout the flight duration. Additional internet packages remain available for purchase.
Emirates' Airbus A350-900 reveals a particular approach, prioritizing fleet consistency over breakthrough innovation. The choice to deploy this aircraft on medium-haul routes, contrary to the industry's usual practice, raises questions about optimizing this investment in the long term.
While the attention paid to design details and the modernization of technical systems are notable, certain product choices, particularly in Business Class, remain behind the innovations offered by the competition.
With 58 additional A350s to be delivered and a significant order book for other aircraft types, Emirates will need to demonstrate its ability to adapt its offering to market developments and passengers' growing expectations regarding product innovation. The introduction of this A350 certainly constitutes a step in fleet modernization, but the choices made raise questions about the airline's medium-term strategy in the face of increasingly innovative competition.
Featured image by Yann Arnould / Flightreviews.net