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Having taken delivery of a new aircraft type, Taiwanese carrier Starlux showed off its brand new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft at the Singapore Airshow, giving a glimpse of the cabin of the aircraft. A noticeable feature was that the larger variant offered 50% more business capacity and increased capacity in economy class, compared to its smaller A350-900 variant.
The incoming A350-1000s will help the airline expand its global connectivity significantly, while enabling the airline to benefit from its premium-heavy configurations on these aircraft and potentially increase its revenue.
New To The Fleet, The A350-1000
Last month, starlux airlines took delivery of the first of its 18 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft it had on order, with the arrival of the jet marking an increase in the capacity the airline can offer across its growing network. Since the airline already operates the smaller variant of the Airbus jet, the A350-900, it was expected that the onboard products and services would be more or less similar on the larger Airbus A350-1000 variant. However, the cabin configuration and capacity remained a mystery until now.
The airline made its brand new A350-1000 available on display at the Singapore Airshow this week, enabling attendees to view the cabins, and as per reports published by Business Insider, a notable change onboard the aircraft is that the larger -1000 is configured with over 50% more business class seats than its smaller variant. Here is how the two A350 variants compare within the airline’s fleet.
|
Variant |
Economy Capacity |
Premium Economy Capacity |
Business Capacity |
First Class Capacity |
Total Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A350-900 |
240 |
36 |
26 |
4 |
306 |
|
A350-1000 |
270 |
36 |
40 |
4 |
350 |
|
Capacity Change (%) |
+12.5% |
0% |
+66.67% |
0% |
+14.38% |
The noticeable increase in the aircraft’s business class capacity indicates that the airline sees demand for more premium customers within the markets the airline is currently serving, but also in markets the airline wishes to enter with these new aircraft as Starlux continues expanding its network. With the airline expecting five more examples of the type to be delivered this year, Starlux plans on utilizing these larger aircraft with enhanced operational range to destinations in the US and possibly other regions of the world.
11 A350s Received, 27 More To Go
Starlux operates an all-Airbus fleet with the narrowbody side made up entirely of Airbus A321neo aircraft, of which the airline operates 13 and is expecting six more. On the widebody side, however, the airline operates five Airbus A330-900s, with one more aircraft to be delivered, and the aforementioned A350s. Starlux has received all 10 of its A350-900s, along with the first of the 18 A350-1000s the carrier had ordered. The airline will receive five more A350-1000s this year, and the remaining 12 aircraft in the following years.
The remaining 10 A350 aircraft the airline has on order are the A350F, freighter variant, which is still in the production phase, pending testing and certification. However, this does indicate that in the coming years, the airline will eventually be one of the few carriers to operate all three variants of the A350 family, and that it will grow its fleet by 126%.
Apart from the five more A350s the airline is expecting, Starlux is also expecting to receive other aircraft it has on order this year, increasing its capacity and fleet size considerably in the coming months. The airline is expected to launch new routes to the United States, with the incoming A350-1000s, and possibly even expand its presence in Europe, where Starlux has just announced its first European destination will be Prague.
Why Did This Airline Choose Prague As Its First European Destination?
The Czech capital is an interesting fit for an airline more accustomed to US West Coast destinations.
The US Is A Key Market For Starlux
The airline has a relatively small network of just over 30 destinations. However, of these, five destinations are in the US, and as mentioned above, the airline is planning to expand its connectivity to the US this year, with the arrival of new widebody aircraft. But beyond that, the airline has been making important connections and partnerships within the US in the past 12 months.
This includes a codeshare expansion with Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, which would allow Starlux passengers flying into the US to connect to 12 destinations within the country, via Seattle or San Francisco, on Alaska Airlines services. This includes destinations across the country, including those on the East Coast, such as Newark, Orlando, and Philadelphia. All in all, Starlux passengers can connect to a total of 20 US destinations with Alaska Airlines. Additionally, Starlux also launched an interline partnership with American Airlines a few months ago, when the carrier launched services to Phoenix, Arizona.
Overall, the next few years will be a time for exponential growth for Starlux, both in terms of fleet size and network size. It is definitely an airline to watch within that particular region of the world, considering the high level of competition it faces.
