The Airbus A350 XWB and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are often viewed as competitors, as they were developed largely during the same time period and are comparable in terms of technology. However, the 787 is more similar to the Airbus A330neo in regard to its market position and less like the Airbus A350, which is a fundamentally larger, heavier, and more capable plane. This difference can be noticed with the Boeing 787-8, as it’s far smaller than any A350 variant, but also when comparing the largest version of the Boeing 787 with the largest A350 family member.

The Boeing 787-8 is the smallest variant of the 787 family, and it’s sized more similarly to the Airbus A330-200 rather than any A350 variant. Although Airbus planned a smaller A350-800, this aircraft was too heavy and fuel-thirsty to compete against the 787-8, leading to its cancellation. The 787-9 and A350-900 are the two most popular variants, and while the A350-900 is larger overall, the 787-9 is only slightly smaller. The Airbus A350-1000, however, is significantly larger than the Boeing 787-10.

Overview Of The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner

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The Boeing 787-10 is the largest variant of the Boeing 787 family. Initially, Boeing planned two fuselage lengths of the 787, with the 787-9 being the largest version, along with the 787-8 and the regional 787-3, which would have shared the 787-8’s fuselage. The 787-3 ended up being cancelled in 2010 as the variant’s only customers, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, switched their orders to the 787-8. Meanwhile, during the program’s development, Boeing also studied a further stretch of the 787 at the request of customers.

Boeing officially launched the 787-10 at the 2013 Paris Air Show, with over 100 orders. Whereas the 787-9 featured significant differences from the 787-8, such as a heavier structure and more powerful engines, the 787-10 is a simple stretch of the 787-9. This means that it burns only marginally more fuel than the 787-9, while carrying significantly more passengers and cargo, resulting in overall superior operating economics. However, as it largely retains the 787-9’s Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW), it has greatly reduced range.

The 787-10 is 224 feet (68.28 meters) long, and has a wingspan of 197 feet three inches (60.12 meters), the same as the other Dreamliner variants. The 787-10 and 787-9 have a tail height of 55 feet ten inches (17.02 meters), while the 787-8 has a tail height of 55 feet six inches (16.92 meters). The 787 family has a cabin width of 18 feet (5.49 meters), enabling nine-abreast in economy with fairly narrow 17-inch (43.18-centimetre) seats. In addition, Boeing has recently bumped the MTOWs of the 787-9 and 787-10 to 259 tons and 260 tons, respectively.

Overview Of The Airbus A350-1000 XWB

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In response to airline demand for a Boeing 787 competitor, Airbus initially favored an aircraft with the A330’s fuselage, along with a new wing, new tail, new cockpit, and 787 engines. Airlines largely rejected the concept, leading Airbus to go back to square one and launch the clean-sheet Airbus A350 XWB in 2006. At the time, the 787 was still being marketed with three variants and two fuselage lengths, while Airbus offered three different sizes with the A350-800, A350-900, and A350-1000.

The A350-800 ended up being cancelled, while the A350-900 was the base model. Airbus initially planned the A350-1000 as a simple stretch of the A350-900, but revised the aircraft’s specifications in 2011 to add capability. This mainly took the form of developing a more powerful variant of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB, extending the wing’s trailing edge, and strengthening the aircraft’s structure to support a higher MTOW. Today, the A350-900 is offered with a 283-ton MTOW, whereas the A350-1000 can be specced with a 322-ton MTOW.

The A350-1000 is 242 feet (73.79 meters) long and has a wingspan of 212 feet five inches (64.75 meters). Both members of the A350 family have a tail height of 56 feet (17.06 meters), and have an internal cabin width of 18 feet nine inches (5.72 meters) in the latest units. While both the A350 and 787 seat nine passengers per row in economy, the added width of the A350 allows for 18-inch (45.72-centimeter) wide seats in economy. Furthermore, the A350 can also accommodate eight seats per row in premium economy, while the 787 only fits seven.

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The Airbus A350-1000 Vs The Boeing 787-10

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The A350 and 787 do not compete in the same market space, but the difference can be difficult to discern because the 787-9 and A350-900, the two most popular variants of either family, are relatively similar in size and capability. Both are ultra-long-haul capable aircraft, and the A350-900 is roughly 13 feet (4 meters) longer. In addition, both are sized close to the Boeing 777-200ER, although the 787-9 does carry fewer passengers than either when configured with a comparable layout.

The Airbus A350-1000, however, is 18 feet (5.71 meters) longer than the Boeing 787-10, and there is a meaningful difference in capability between the two. While the Boeing 787-10 is more capable than many give it credit for (especially with the recent MTOW boost), it’s simply not an ultra-long-haul aircraft, with a range of 6,760 NM (12,519 km) when specced with the 260-ton MTOW option. The Airbus A350-1000, on the other hand, has the longest range of any in-production airliner, at 9,000 NM (16,700 km).

The A350-1000 is fundamentally a larger, heavier, and more capable airliner than the 787-10. While it’s astoundingly efficient, the 787-10 burns even less fuel since the only added weight from the 787-9 is from the longer fuselage. It was designed primarily for transatlantic flights and shorter transpacific routes, with the capability to operate longer flights like Chicago to Tokyo if necessary. Meanwhile, the 787-10 is sized between the Boeing 777-200ER and 777-300ER, whereas the Airbus A350-1000 is the same size as the Boeing 777-300ER.

The Market Positioning Of The Airbus A350 XWB

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Airbus had underestimated the market appeal of the Boeing 787 and was tied up with developing the A380. With its attempts to sell a warmed-over A330 as a competitor to the Dreamliner, Airbus found itself severely behind. With the A350 XWB, rather than attempt to compete in the same space as the dominant 787, Airbus moved upmarket to target the Boeing 777, Boeing’s star widebody at the time. As a result, the A350 can carve out its own niche while penetrating a market that Airbus had previously lost out on with the A340.

The Airbus A350-900 is longer than the Boeing 777-200ER, but the 777 seats ten passengers per row in economy, meaning that the two seat about the same number of passengers. Meanwhile, the A350-1000 is virtually the same size as the 777-300ER and has a more efficient interior layout, meaning that it seats almost as many passengers. The 787 family is sized similarly to the Airbus A330, and the Boeing 787-10 is positioned as a 777-200ER replacement.

The A350-900 has sold over 1,000 examples, significantly more than the 422 orders that the 777-200ER received. The 787-10, which was launched much later, has received just under 500 orders. The 777-300ER was by far the most popular 777 variant, with over 800 orders, but the A350-1000 has received only 367 orders. However, this is largely because most 777-300ERs are relatively young, and as the largest model in either the A350 or 787 families, it will naturally have the smallest market.

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The Threat Of The Boeing 787-10

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The Boeing 787-9 is the best-selling widebody aircraft variant of all time, as it’s extremely efficient, has ultra-long-haul range, has a relatively low capacity, and has low operating costs. The Airbus A350-900, meanwhile, is ideal for airlines looking to lift higher payloads, operate the same or longer routes, or a combination of both, and is also efficient on shorter routes. The 787-9 is ideal for Etihad Airways to launch services to Charlotte, a smaller US city 6,437 NM (11,921 km) away from Abu Dhabi, while the A350 is better suited for Delta’s services from LAX to Sydney, a route connecting two major cities.

The 787-10 has significantly less range than the A350-900, but its range is almost as much as the 777-200ER. The 787-10 has slightly lower operating costs than the A350-900, meaning that the 787-10 will often be the better choice for airlines that don’t require the A350’s range. With the 787-10 getting a range boost, this potentially decreases the market for the A350-900. A similar scenario played out with the Boeing 777-200ER, which couldn’t compete against an increasingly capable Airbus A330-300 that ultimately burned less fuel than the 777.

The difference in this case, however, is that the fuel burn difference between the A350-900 and 787-10 is less than between the 777-200ER and A330-300. In addition, the A350-900 has significantly more range than the 787-10 or 777-200ER, and carries more payload. While the 787-10 is a stronger competitor now with its improved range, a large market will always exist for the A350-900. Meanwhile, the Airbus A350-1000 cannot be touched by any 787 variant, but its best days are likely ahead of it, given the young age of the global 777-300ER fleet.