One of the top qualities of the Airbus A350 widebody series, at least if you ask pilots and operators like Cathay Pacific, is its exceptionally slow approach and landing speed coupled with a short ground roll. That performance feature allows flights to haul more cargo or land at airports with short runways and makes operations both more flexible and profitable for carriers as well as improving safety for pilots.

The way Airbus achieved that in its latest widebody series is a combination of a few engineering factors. One of the primary contributors is the low weight of the big jet, thanks to its composite materials. The other big contributor is the aerodynamic shape of its wings and the performance of its engines. So, without any further ado, let’s break it down.

How Slow Does The A350 Go?

Credit: Photo: Airbus

Now, if you ask any pilot or air traffic controller (ATC), every landing is different, and that means that landing speeds are too. Even with that in mind, the A350 generally comes in around the 140-knot (259 kmh) mark on approach and touchdown. That low speed makes landing safer and smoother during normal operations, but the qualities that make that possible also unlock other potential. In the post-pandemic era of recovery, airlines need the flexibility to fly to virtually any destination with many different load factors and route profiles while keeping costs low.

The large wing surfaces of the A350 with extending flaps and other control surfaces make it highly controllable in harsh weather or under tough conditions like hot or high operations. When the air is thin in hot weather or at high-altitude airfields, the A350 is unbothered, and flights run like business as usual. Its reverse thrusters also shorten the rolling distance the A350 needs to stop once it hits the tarmac, which opens more destinations and increases the max payload potential. That means carriers can fly more, fly further, and go to more places than before with better operating efficiency than ever before.

Airbus has been locked in a rivalry with Boeing for decades over both the narrowbody and widebody market, which has inspired innovation by both aerospace juggernauts. As Boeing struggles with certification and production issues on both the 737 MAX and 777X, Airbus has had an opening to shine. The A350 has impressed airlines around the world with its flexibility, efficiency, and excellent flying characteristics, filling the order books and even prompting a specialized ultra-long-haul variant, the A350-900ULR, to be made for Singapore Airlines.

The A350-900 By The Numbers

Credit: Airbus

Airbus’ original extra-widebody A350 officially entered commercial service in 2015 with the first delivered A350-900 going to Qatar Airways. The first of its class, the -900, is not a small plane by any means. Purpose-made to be a champion of long-haul flying, it also carries a strong seat count that makes it highly useful for both dense hubs and distant connections. Over 560 of the -900 model have been built for customers all over the world, from the United States to China or Qatar, along with almost 100 of the -1000 variant thus far.

The -900 so impressed with its fuel efficiency and range that Singapore ordered seven jets with more fuel capacity to make nonstop flights between Changi International Airport (SIN) and New York’s John F Kennedy International (JFK), which covers 9,537 miles (15,349 km) and is nearly 19 hours long. The high-lift aerodynamic design that makes low-speed landings possible also gives it that incredible range.

The A350-1000 By The Numbers

Credit: Airbus

Three years after its predecessor, the stretched A350XWB variant would arrive at Qatar as well, with the first A350-1000 touching down at Doha International Airport (DIA) in 2018. The -1000 has the more powerful Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines compared to XWB-84 on the -900 but virtually identical wings, but thanks to its elongated fuselage, it can carry more fuel to fly even further.

The A350-1000 has an equally good reputation for low-speed handling that makes takeoff and landing a smooth and safe experience for aircrew and passengers alike. The freighter variant A350F that is expected to debut in 2027 will use the same platform as the -1000, just swapping seats out for pallet anchors. The -1000 has been a success serving the largest hubs in the world for global airlines like Emirates, Japan Airlines (JAL), British Airways, and Air France, to name just a few.

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Composite Airframe Weight Savings

Credit: Airbus

Airbus claims that by using composites known as carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and other weight-saving techniques, the A350 cut 1.2 metric tons of weight compared to conventional alloys. Minimizing the aircraft’s systems, structures, and installation architecture also enabled this weight loss regimen. These advances in material science were applied to both the -900 and the stretched -1000.

The A350 program advanced the aerospace application of cutting-edge carbon fiber. The support structure of the landing gear, as well as the upper and lower wing covers, all use the same material, in addition to the fuselage structures. CFRP helped make the cabin quieter, and its greater strength allowed for a reduced cabin altitude of 6,000 ft (1,828 m). The wider and longer cabin also allowed for bulkheads in the rear and cockpit to be changed, with 30 extra seats possible thanks to the new layout.

In the first recorded incident of a serious A350 crash that occurred in Japan last year, the composites materials were credited with actually saving lives. At Tokyo Haneda Airport(HND), the JAL A350-900 collided with a Coast Guard Bombardier Dash-9 patrol plane en route to Niigata with humanitarian aid. The Dash-9 crew all perished in the mishap, but all 379 passengers and crew of the Airbus escaped, which was attributed to the fire-resistant qualities of the plane’s materials in a report by Plastics Today.

The use of advanced carbon-fiber composites made the A350 lighter, which makes its lowest airspeeds before stall better than the previous generation. That material also dramatically increased the performance of its control surfaces and wing, which enhanced its lift generation and aerodynamic properties in all flight regimes.

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Aerodynamics For Ideal Handling

Credit: Airbus

Each variant of the A350 has essentially the same wing with a flexing shape that “twists” as it flies through different conditions of speed, altitude, and load factors. That wing enables it to fly efficiently at high cruising speeds as well as land with slow, gentle handling characteristics. The carbon composite material that makes up much of the wing’s composition allows it to have this incredible flexibility while also being very light and strong.

A report by the International Council of Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) praised the engineering of the A350, saying:

“‘Shaping Efficiency’ was the directive for the design of the aircraft, which was valid for all involved disciplines but of special motivation for aerodynamics. That means for the high-lift system to deliver maximum aerodynamic efficiency for low approach speeds and low take off drag, while keeping the overall system small and simple to provide low weight and low complexity.”

The wings of the A350 are very large and get even larger when the leading Droop Nose Device (DND) and slat surfaces drop down to increase lift. The Adaptive Drooped Hinge Flaps (ADHF) extend as the plane nears the runway, which raises the wing’s lifting power even more. There are also seven spoilers on the wing to complement the flaps’ effects. All of these qualities make both the A350-900 and -1000 a slow, safe, and predictable widebody jetliner when it returns from the sky and gently sets back down on earth.