Odds and Ends: A350 completes first flight-CSeries to come, with other program launches; passenger experience

A350 First Flight: given the time zone difference between Toulouse and Seattle, our readers are hours ahead of us in following first flight of the Airbus A350. As you could imagine, since it was overnight here, we weren’t up (we may be dedicated, but we’re not that dedicated). First flight is, of course, a milestone in any airplane program, and we certainly got caught up in the excitement when the Boeing 787 finally had its first flight. Bombardier is still holding to its first flight for the CSeries by the end of this month.

With the launch of the 787-10 and the Embraer re-engined E-Jet coming next week at the Paris Air Show and the 777X by the end of this year, probably at the Dubai Air Show, we can’t remember when so many aircraft events like these happened in one year.

Aviation Week has a series of A350 first flight photos.

In other news:

Boeing’s plans for passenger experience: During Boeing’s pre-Paris Air Show briefings, largely embargoed until today, several Boeing executives spent a good deal of time talking about plans for passenger experience in the coming years. We compiled these comments into this story for APEX magazine. Most interesting were the comments that the sharp interior design of the 787, which has been borrowed for the 737 and 747-8, will be obsolete by the time the 777X enters service around 2020 and Boeing plans major upgrades. Keep in mind the 787 will have been in service nine years by then.

Boeing officials also emphasized how planning is emphasizing ways to help its customers capitalize on ancillary revenues. We cover this in the APEX story.

Boeing at Renton: The Seattle Times has a story about the activities at Boeing’s Renton plant. Boeing is preparing to integrate the 737 MAX into the factory, and Dominic Gates has a good story about what’s going on there.

A350 Suppliers in Washington State: KPLU, a public radio station in Seattle, has this report on A350 suppliers in Washington State.

6 Comments on “Odds and Ends: A350 completes first flight-CSeries to come, with other program launches; passenger experience

  1. Boeing is going to have to do something fantastic to top their current sky interior on the B-737NG, B-747-8I, and B-787-8/-9.

    The sky interior is just superb, and IMHO, a far better and more comfortable interior than any other airplanes, including the same models of earlier B-737NGs, B-757s, B-767s, and current Airbus airplanes.

    Now I wonder if the B-777X models will have the larger passenger windows of the B-787? Boeing chose not to put these bigger windows in the revamped B-737MAX, or the B-747-8I.

    • Entertainment system is a must on long flights with children. I don’t need something special inside at all. Most time I fell asleep before take-off. How “comfortable interior” is I measure just with my legs and arms.

      Larger passenger windows on the 777X? Will Boeing also do new fuselage? Maybe customers drive Boeing to build complete new 777″XWB”.

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