A350-900 specs have gotten complicated with all the different sources quoting different numbers flying around. As someone who digs into aircraft specifications regularly, I learned everything there is to know about the A350-900’s numbers. Here’s the clean data.
Dimensions
Length: 219 feet. Wingspan: 212 feet. Height: 56 feet. Big airplane, but not A380 territory. Interior cabin width is about 18 feet, which translates to 9-abreast economy for most airlines. Some squeeze 10 across. Avoid those if you can.
Range and Capacity
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Typical range sits around 8,100 nautical miles — that’s roughly 15 hours of flying. Covers virtually any city pair on earth. Passenger capacity varies from 300-350 in three-class to 440 if an airline goes maximum density. Big spread depending on configuration choices.
The Engines
Rolls-Royce Trent XWB exclusively. No engine option. About 84,000 pounds of thrust per engine, two installed. Fuel burn runs roughly 25% better than a 777-200. That’s what makes the A350 endearing to us numbers people — that efficiency gap is enormous in airline economics.
What It’s Made Of
53% composite materials by weight. Carbon fiber fuselage and wings. Lighter airframe equals better fuel efficiency. The composites also enable those bigger windows and allow for higher cabin pressure — 6,000 feet equivalent instead of the traditional 8,000 feet. Passengers feel the difference even if they can’t explain why.
Flight Deck
Fly-by-wire, standard Airbus. Six large LCD screens across the panel. Head-up display available as an option. Common type rating with the A330, which gives airlines huge flexibility in crew scheduling — pilots can switch between A330 and A350 operations.
Performance Numbers
Cruise speed Mach 0.85. Maximum Mach 0.89. Service ceiling 43,000 feet. Takeoff distance about 8,400 feet at maximum weight — compatible with most major airports worldwide. These are the numbers that determine where the A350 can operate, and they give it access to essentially every commercial airport that matters.
