Aircraft
A350 adds seat-mile value as battle with Boeing 787 looms
Recent changes to the proposed Airbus A350 have rendered the planned A330 variant much more competitive against the Boeing 787 in the battle for the “middl

Recent changes to the proposed Airbus A350 have rendered the planned A330 variant much more competitive against the Boeing 787 in the battle for the “middle of the market,” according to Airbus. The European airframer has refined the design, which now offers more seats and, consequently, lower seat-mile costs. Airbus has acknowledged that its progress lags two years behind that of Boeing, but officials also point out that current 787 backlog means that airlines ordering today cannot obtain either aircraft before 2010.