A350 with Chinese components to demo here

A demonstration flight of an A350-900 jetliner from Airbus will be staged during the Nov 1-6 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, also known as the Airshow China 2016.

Airbus, a world-leading aircraft manufacturer, has never missed the biennial Airshow China since the event was initiated in 1996. As of this year, it will have had 11 appearances at the Airshow Center in Jinwan. In that time, the Airbus A380 -- a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner -- was shown in 2008, 2010, and 2014.

This time, however, A350, the latest wide-body aircraft from the A350 XWB Family, will debut instead. A section of the aircraft’s original component made out of composite material will also be on display. The A350 XWB Family, encompassing the A350-800, -900 and -1000, is the latest generation of long-range, twin-engine, wide-body jet airliners.

Airbus A350 [Photo courtesy of Zhuhai Daily]

Eric Chen, CEO of Airbus China Co Ltd, explained that the aircraft family performs ultra-long-haul operations; for example, the A350-900 has a maximum range up to 15,000 km, the length of the most distant international air routes.

The A350 XWB Family is considered a breakthrough in its class given records it has set. The overall cabin width is 221 inches (5.61 m), and the 18-inch width (0.46 m) of standard nine-abreast economy-class seats ensures maximum comfort.

Moreover, more than 70 percent of the body is constructed of advanced materials including titanium and the latest generation of aluminum alloy, with utilization of alloy composite reaching 53 percent, the highest in the industry. Only carbon fiber reinforced composite is used for the fuselage to achieve a significant reduction in aircraft weight and fuel consumption. As a result, the A350 uses 25 percent less fuel than its current competitor, the Boeing 777.

The A350 XWB is a joint creation of Airbus and China, and is the world’s first foreign aircraft involving Chinese expertise at the initial stage. Each A350 XWB carries components designed and manufactured in China.