Airbus Debuts A350 Cabin With 10 Seats Per Row Versus 9; Boeing 777X

Airbus just unveiled an all-new cabin configuration for its A350 widebody jet with the goal to offer airlines more revenue opportunities and better efficiency.

Source: Airbus

On Wednesday, the European planemaker announced a 10-abreast seating layout for its A350 variants, including the -900 and -1000, made possible by adding four inches of space to the cabin width by carving out the sidewalls.

Source: Airbus

The move is part of the manufacturer’s New Production Standard launched at the end of September, which also improves performance and reduces weight.

Source: Airbus

With the added space, 10 seats can fit across instead of the standard nine, increasing capacity by a total of 27 seats on the -900 and 34 seats on the -1000 in a three-class layout, Airbus told Insider.

Source: Airbus

This brings the total A350-1000 passenger capacity to 410 in a typical three-class layout. The Boeing 777X, by comparison, can accommodate up to 406 people, per Reuters.

Source: Reuters

Boeing maintained its 777X is still more comfortable: “Today’s 777 offers a wider cabin than the competition, and the new 777X cabin is even more spacious, providing the widest and most comfortable cabin in its class,” a spokesperson told Insider.

For context, the A350’s typical 3-3-3 layout has historically offered 18-inch-wide economy seats and competes with the 787.

Source: Airbus

By comparison, only 63 widebody planes, including A330s and A350s, were delivered as of September 30, 2022. But, the market isn’t the only issue.

Source: Airbus

While Airbus’ new cabin may not be as advantageous for mainline airlines, low-cost carriers could be a big winner: “It is roughly 11% more efficient in economy-class pricing,” cabin expert John Walton told Reuters.

Source: Runway Girl Network, Reuters

“Anyone who already has the A350 will probably go nine abreast – for now – to maintain commonality,” he said. “The question is what happens later when planes start leaving the fleet.”

Source: Reuters