Starlux Airlines Adds 350-Seat, Four-Cabin Airbus A350-1000 To Fleet

I believe that they expect 6 planes this year (the first was initially scheduled for the end of 2025 + 5 scheduled for 2026), then 2 planes in 2027 followed by a 4 year gap with deliveries resuming in 2031.

Beautiful. Airbus is knocking it outta the park with a350; far surpassing Boeing’s super-delayed 777X. Airlines like Delta scored by trusting Airbus for its long-haul fleet. 35K, 339, 321X neo and XLR, and 220 are the future. I’d add any of the E2s for regionals, too.

Source: https://djsaviation.net/exciting-new-a350-1000-delivery/

Hope they’ll put one of these new 35K on TPE-JFK. Would be nice to see them expand their route map to the US East Coast, too. Large Taiwanese community here (NYC), too.

I hope the aft J lavs are placed in a better location on the -1000. (crosses fingers)

Layout is roughly similar to CX with a ± in seats give or take.

I wonder when we get to see them stretch their legs further east into ORD and JFK 😀

And speaking of CX:
-A350 is in retro colours with a -8F to follow
-A 773 will not be painted in retro colours, but in a another "special" livery later on (whatever that means)
-New A330 product later this year

The A350-1000 has way less orders than the 777-9, which is the closest Airbus product to the 777X.

The A350-900 is in a whole different class compared to the 777X. So your take is really not accurate when comparing apples to apples.

Well-aware of order numbers, and even that is shifting, because the issue is timely deliveries. Airbus is actually delivering. Boeing isn’t going…

And, if CX can fly 2-3x to JFK daily, there’s no reason Starlux can’t join EVA and China Airlines to do the same. Nice to have more options. Easy connections from TPE to all over E. Asia, too. Ideally, more engagement and trade deters further aggression by neighbors… *cough*

Yet another airline gets their 350-1000 before Delta.

To be new operators of the A350-1000 in 2026.

1). Starlux
2). Qantas
3). Delta
4). Air India
5). EVA Air
6). Turkish
7). Lufthansa

At least the seat config for eco is a reasonable 9 abreast unlike another airline who recently took delivery of the same aircraft.

Flew JX F recently from Asia to USA.

The seats are an incremental upgrade on the business cabin but it's the all round soft product that that shines through.

Oeganized by their concierge at no extra cost, picked up at hotel by local limo service.

Greated curbside by ground staff that took everything including packing our check luggage into oversized crates and expediting to the aircraft. Escorted through terminal to seat, including their companying us on a detour through tax claim.

On board, gave out birthday cake (and lots of Peanuts branded totes, color books, etc) to the kids.

Collected at Taipei and driven across terminal - escorted to seat. Similar soft product goodies doled out. Front bulkhead toilet reserved for us and pilots to the chagrin on business pax. Rough flight turbulence wise but hey ho.

At LAX, collected by P/S, and driven to private suite for food drinks and decompression - cleared customs and immigration there, they also got our checked bags and brought them to the curb for our onward Uber.

Exceptional experience all round, with minor quibbles around the food and IFE programming depth.

Nasir, or, anyone else who might know …. a question if you please:

Is there a list of customers taking delivery of new Boeing aircraft types?

“Cough” …. and who will deter the aggression by Greenland’s neighbours 1990?

Oh, no, you see, that’s for ‘national security’ and ‘rare earths’ and ‘narwhals’… totally different. 😉

Is that a new tail livery or just something special for this plane? I like it!

Their first batch of 10 A350-1000s were ordered back in 2020 they will take delivery of 6 this year and 4 next year. The remaining 8 won't be delivered until 2030 or later. Meanwhile Delta didn't order the A350-1000 until January 2024 a full 4 years after Starlux. Of course Starlux would take delivery of their A35Ks before Delta and I would say Delta was lucky to get the 2026 and 2027 delivery slots given the popularity of the entire A350 program.

The A350-1000, is a mighty fine ride. I have spent several hundred hours travelling in J.

One is happy to travel with selected carriers who offer an F cabin, in the 777. Perhaps I should put a JAL, A350, F Class ride on my bucket list?

If asked nicely, I would offer an option on which aircraft I prefer …. Ok! You win ****, I really do like the 350 best today, however, that might change with next month’s foray into the unknown.

@JW
Starlux is on another level. That airline that took delivery of the A350-1000 with 10 abreast economy used the words comfortable, game changing and elegant for those tiny and narrow 16.5 inch seats. How pathetic.

@UncleRonnie
Tim Dunn will have something to say about this.
But to be honest, Starlux ordered the A350-1000 years before Delta did. So they received the plane before Delta.

Philippine Air Lines shocked me with the 3-4-3 layout. The width must be horrible

IIRC, the original plan was to have their first A35K before the end of 2025. I wonder if the delay was because of manufacturing issues (Rolls-Royce engines?) or the airline just pushed it back a bit. Regional flights first for crew familiarity. New destination could be Dallas, Chicago, or New York if North America; London or Helsinki if Europe. They could be a oneworld airline in all but name

Any word on their oneworld membership?

Hope they start flying to Europe soon, would love to try them.

I would LOVE for them to join Oneworld. Still awaiting that announcement.

You must be referring to PAL who decided to go with that horrendous 10-abreast seating in Economy. That gives those seats a seat width of just 16.5 inches.

Yup, 16.5 inches. Good grief.

Over Cathay Pacific's dead body, maybe.

Starlux Airlines announced on the 6th that it had received its first Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, the first to be introduced by a Taiwanese airline, in Toulouse, France, and that the aircraft was flown to Taiwan by the company's Chairman, Chang Kuo-wei. Speaking to reporters on the same day, Chairman Chang revealed that the aircraft will be deployed on Japan routes before the Lunar New Year (this year on February 17th), with the first route being Tokyo.

Where's the first class cabin picture?

"Over Cathay Pacific's dead body, maybe."

You haven't been paying attention.

Cathay's CEO has been asked this question multiple times, and directly said his airline will not veto if the majority of OneWorld's Governing Board makes an offer to Starlux. Contrast that to his refusal to answer the question, when asked the same about China Southern joining.

Happy to see this, the A350-1000 is my favorite of the long-haul widebody aircraft. Glad Starlux is doing its fleet right!

Totally agree. It's awkward to have to walk through one lav (being used) to get to the open lav. And then leaving that lav to walk into the other with another customer to walk out the door. Who thought a communal lav was a good customer experience? Jeesh.

I agree that the hard product is excellent with one of the best seats in the industry. The zero gravity position is most comfortable. However, I found the soft product to be very inconsistent.