A350 Deliveries and Routes

[SQKevin]

Thought it will be appropriate to start this thread as the 1st SQ A350 has entered the Final Assembly Line (FAL).

Msn 26 has entered Station 59, the first station in the FAL. Pre-installed modules have started arriving for cabin monuments installation. Once done, it will enter Station 50 for structural fuselage join-up.

Msn 26 has been assigned test registration F-WZFU.

[yflyer]

Thanks for the info, SQKevin!

Any idea what routes SQ will deploy the A350 on?

[9V-JKL]

Thanks for the info, SQKevin!

Any idea what routes SQ will deploy the A350 on?

SIN-BCN-GRU according to their Latin America GM

[SQ228]

There's been all this talk about GRU via BCN but I think the original info posted said it would be one of the first, not the first.

My guess is a destination like NRT or SYD where the flight pair fits easily within 24 hours with generous turnaround times. This allows for plenty of checking and monitoring with ample time to fix anything minor. If they want to pull it out of service for any reason, a replacement is much easier to find, because the distance isn't too great for any plane in the fleet.

Do we know the class layouts though? Will all A350s dispense with F and just have J/Y+/Y sections? That could be a major factor.

[flying.monkeyz]

There's been all this talk about GRU via BCN but I think the original info posted said it would be one of the first, not the first.

My guess is a destination like NRT or SYD where the flight pair fits easily within 24 hours with generous turnaround times. This allows for plenty of checking and monitoring with ample time to fix anything minor. If they want to pull it out of service for any reason, a replacement is much easier to find, because the distance isn't too great for any plane in the fleet.

Do we know the class layouts though? Will all A350s dispense with F and just have J/Y+/Y sections? That could be a major factor.

I'd imagine they'll deploy the aircraft on shorter sectors for crew training purposes.

[SQ228]

I'd imagine they'll deploy the aircraft on shorter sectors for crew training purposes.

Ah is that the reason?

When the launched the 77W on SIN-CDG, was that it's first commercial flight or did it spend a short while on shorter runs before the "official" launch?

Anybody know?

[LOWJHG]

I'd imagine they'll deploy the aircraft on shorter sectors for crew training purposes.

+1

I believe short-mid haul will get the plane first. Maybe CGK as SQ has a habit of sending new planes there for crew familiarization purposes

[SQGamespeed]

+1

I believe short-mid haul will get the plane first. Maybe CGK as SQ has a habit of sending new planes there for crew familiarization purposes

I recall they did the same thing when introducing the A345.

[9V-JKL]

The 77Ws never did short-haul work. I presume this being that SQ at that time had significant experience with the 777 family

[lcpteck]

Hope to redeem for an inaugural flight.

[SQKevin]

Msn 26 (SQ's 1st A350) has been moved to Station 50 and is undergoing fuselage join.

[SQKevin]

There is no official announcement yet from SQ but going by the current production rate, we should see a 1st quarter 2016 delivery.

[SQ228]

There is no official announcement yet from SQ but going by the current production rate, we should see a 1st quarter 2016 delivery.

Do we have any sources of knowledge as to whether SQ will get just one and then another substantial wait or if they might get 2 or 3 in close succession?

When they received the first batch of 77Ws they got six of them in just over a month (SWA-G).

This knowledge is key to our speculations!

[SQKevin]

Do we have any sources of knowledge as to whether SQ will get just one and then another substantial wait or if they might get 2 or 3 in close succession?

When they received the first batch of 77Ws they got six of them in just over a month (SWA-G).

This knowledge is key to our speculations!

SQ's no. 2 (msn 30) and no. 3 (msn 31) have already had their parts built. A fuselage section of msn 31 was photographed undergoing assembly in early Feb 2015. http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/large/692b3893...21o023xkjn.jpg
There is no activity reported on no. 4 (msn 37) and no. 5 (msn 41), so I won't be surprised if we get no. 1, 2 and 3 in fairly quick succession.

I would say that the current main A350 production source available, namely, a380.boards.net is fairly reliable.

[SQ228]

SQ's no. 2 (msn 30) and no. 3 (msn 31) have already had their parts built. A fuselage section of msn 31 was photographed undergoing assembly in early Feb 2015. http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/large/692b3893...21o023xkjn.jpg
There is no activity reported on no. 4 (msn 37) and no. 4 (msn 41), so I won't be surprised if we get no. 1, 2 and 3 in fairly quick succession.

I would say that the current main A350 production source available, namely, a380.boards.net is fairly reliable.

Excellent information, thanks!

So, we expect they may have a set of three to play with. Let the speculation begin!