British Airways receives first Airbus A350

The airline also debuts its new business class cabin

British Airways’ first Airbus A350 has landed at London Heathrow.

The state-of-the-art aircraft also features the British flag carrier’s new business class cabin, called Club Suite.

Four new A350 planes will join the British Airways fleet by the end of the year. In total, the airline has 18 on order.

The first A350, registration G-XWBA, flew in from Paris over the weekend.

Each new Club Suite seat will have a door and flat-beds in a 1-2-1 configuration, which means that passengers have direct aisle access.

Passengers will get wifi (plus at-seat power), 18-inch screens with high-definition inflight entertainment and 40 per cent more storage space.

“This aircraft marks a significant and exciting milestone in our £6.5 billion investment programme and is even more special as it comes with our new Club Suite,” said Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience.

“The A350 is a fantastic aircraft and an excellent showpiece for British engineering. Our customers are going to love the space, light and comfort onboard.”

The first A350 to be delivered will be deployed on the London to Madrid route to allow pilots and cabin crew to gain experience of the layout.

It will enter long-haul service in September, with flights to Dubai, followed by services to Toronto, Tel Aviv and Bangalore this year.

Before the end of the year, three more A350 aircraft will join the British Airways fleet and two Boeing 777 aircraft will also be retrofitted with the new Club Suite cabin.

At the start of next year, British Airways will roll out its Club Suite on other long-haul aircraft.