When it comes to comparing Airbus’ latest and greatest widebody jets, there are two choices. The question is which one of those two big-wing airliners has more power on tap? The A350 “extra wide body” is the flagship jetliner in the current lineup. These two enormous twinjets now occupy the top place in the Airbus family tree since the “super jumbo” A380 was discontinued in 2021.

The A350-1000 and the A350-900 are both powered by Rolls-Royce Trent turbofan engines. The -1000 seats 54 passengers, more than the -900 and has a max takeoff weight that is over 80,000 pounds higher. Naturally, given its larger size and higher payload, the -1000 has more powerplants that pump out a lot more thrust.

The Airbus A350-1000 has 12,900 pounds of force (lbf) more takeoff thrust per engine than the A350-900. The -1000 is powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 and makes 97,100 pounds of thrust per engine for a total of 194,200 pounds combined. The -900 is not that far behind, however, and its XWB-84 powerplants make 84,200 pounds each for a total of 168,400 pounds of thrust.

A350-1000: Power And Grace

Credit: Airbus

The Airbus A350-1000 is currently the largest widebody jet that the company makes. The plane was derived from the clean-sheet A350-900 extra-widebody. The family of A350 jets currently only has two members, but there is speculation that more variants are coming. The A350F, a freighter based on the -1000, is confirmed to be in development, with the prototype under assembly now. An ultra-long-range variant is also being developed for Qantas, the A350-1000ULR, under the “Project Sunrise” program.

The plane competes directly with the Boeing legacy 777 and clean sheet 787 Dreamliner. The – 1000 has a higher maximum seating capacity than the 787-10, which is the largest of the Dreamliners. The 787’s innovative new cabin features, exceptionally high fuel efficiency, and low operating cost are the direct reasons for the A350 development. Since entering service, there has been very stiff competition between the two new jets from the rival planemakers.

The large plane uses its powerful engines to maximize its payload on every flight. Carrying the highest number of passengers and the most cargo possible brings down the operating cost of the huge jet and keeps operators in the black. At the same time, the airspace cabin features a number of new upgrades, including high-quality air recycling, higher humidity, and lower cabin pressure. The hugely powerful jet also has the quietest cabin noise level in its class.

Powered By Rolls-Royce

Credit: Airbus

Rolls-Royce developed the Trent XWB specifically to be the sole engine family for all variants of the Airbus A350. It is currently the most efficient large aero engine in service, offering a 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft engines.

The engine’s design features the characteristic three-shaft layout of the Rolls-Royce Trent family architecture, but it incorporates numerous innovative new features to achieve higher efficiency and higher performance than legacy powerplants. One of the first key differences is the extensive use of advanced lightweight materials like carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites and titanium. The engine’s fan has a 3-meter-diameter face that delivers a bypass ratio of around 9.6:1, which significantly lowers fuel burn, cuts emissions, and reduces noise. The fan blades are swept hollow titanium construction, which leverages the newest aerodynamic designs and further mitigates the noise footprint.

Trent XWB turbofans demonstrated a dispatch reliability of over 99.9%. Advanced cooling technologies and robust materials allow components to withstand extreme temperatures and stress for thousands of flight hours. The engine is certified to operate on a 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend today and is proven compatible with 100% SAF for the future.

A350-900: By The Numbers

Credit: Airbus

The original extra-wide body is the -900, and its larger and complementary variant, the -1000, shares 95% parts commonality. There is even a unique ultra long-range variant, which is the -900 with more fuel tanks and cargo bays, known as the A350-900ULR. On top of sharing so much in common with its counterparts, the A350 has a common type rating with the A330, which dramatically reduces training and significantly boosts pilot productivity for carriers.

Airbus delivered the first production A350-900 aircraft to Qatar Airways. The A350-900 conducted its inaugural commercial flight from Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Qatar to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Germany, officially marking its entry into service. The A350’s performance and reliability are a major selling point for customers like Gulf Carriers: Qatar, Emirates, Etihad, and more.

Airlines around the world are diversifying their networks to include a wider range of international destinations than ever before. Having an aircraft with power plants that are not only highly reliable under all weather conditions but can perform well dramatically improves operations for any carrier.

Immensely powerful engines on the A350 make hot and high operations in places like South America a non-issue even under all the most extreme conditions. Similarly, the sandy and brutally hot environment in the Middle East doesn’t stop the 8350 from completing its mission and getting travelers where they need to be, when they need to be there.

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Rest Easy On The Extra Widebody

Credit: Airbus

The A350 has the quietest twin-aisle cabin available in the airliner industry. The airspace cabin is five decibels quieter than competing aircraft across the entire length, with the front sections being nine decibels quieter on average. That comes out to a total noise level that is 4 times lower.

The A350 features a 221-inch-wide cabin, which offers the highest comfort across all classes as well as flexibility for airlines to change and customize the configuration to market demand. Specifically, the – 1000 offers 40% more premium cabin area for operators. That has proven to be extremely valuable in the post-COVID-19 aviation market, which has seen a rise in demand for premium services compared to the market before the Coronavirus travel lockdown.

The lower cabin altitude of 6,000 ft, compared to 8,000 ft on average in the industry, directly improves passenger experience in all classes by reducing fatigue, increasing hydration, and mitigating jet lag aftereffects. The aircraft also has the largest overhead luggage bins in its segment and the highest ceiling in the industry.

On top of having an exceptionally spacious cabin, hence the “Airspace” name, Airbus updated the air conditioning to not only have double the number of temperature control zones, but also be much quieter. The new high-efficiency particulate arrestor (HEPA) filters remove 99% of all contaminants, and the cabin air is fully renewed every 2 to 3 minutes by the new system.

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“Yes”: Talks About A Stretched Airbus A350 Model Reignite At The Dubai Airshow

Is the A350-2000 finally coming?

A350-2000 In The Works?

Credit: Airbus

Since the 2025 Paris Air Show in June, numerous online sources and aviation news outlets, such as Aviation A2Z, have reported that Airbus hinted at the potential for the A350-2000 to finally move beyond theory alone. The absence of the A380 has led to a vacancy at the top end of the Airbus lineup. Its most loyal customer, Emirates, has even proposed starting a refreshed A380neo model, but with no other prospective customers, it has not happened.

Following fresh discussion about stretched twinjets between Emirates and Airbus in the opening hours of the 2025 Dubai Airshow, it was once again hinted that a new A350 variant may be in the works. Reuters recounted that, on day one of the airshow in Dubai, Airbus CEO Christian Scherer was asked if the A350-2000 was currently in development, to which he replied:

“Yes… A number of our customers are telling us…please look at stretching it because it could be a formidable solution for us as we grow, and that is what we are looking at”.

The lower seat-count A380s were slightly higher and the A350s slightly lower, so the 400–410 average seating capacity did not make sense in the past, but that is no longer the case. An all-economy (one class) A350-2000 would have about 520 seats, pushing into A380 seat territory with a roughly 40-seat increase over the A350-1000.

The -2000 would be directly competitive with the stretched 777X because the 777-8 and 777-9 seat 395 and 426, respectively. Compared to the 777X, the certification process for the A350-2000 should be much quicker, so Airbus still has some time to get it into production.

In 2025, Airbus had an outstanding year, continuing to outperform Boeing in sales and delivery. Even the 737 family was surpassed by the A320 as it became the best-selling airliner in history. With this announcement, Airbus made a strong start to its 2025 acquisition of Air Show.