After finishing the first photos of the Airbus A320neo, I realized I still had some photos of the A350 taken over the past month, so I decided to share them as well. Two years ago, I introduced “Rain Man’s” first encounter with the A350 XWB, which was Airbus’s test flight aircraft. Last year, I posted photos of Vietnam Airlines A350-900 Ground Ops and photos of Vietnam Airlines A350-900 Takeoff. Today, I will be introducing the brand new A350s of Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, and Cathay Pacific.

First, let’s look at Singapore Airlines. They started using the A350 on the Tokyo to Singapore route starting December 13th this year. So, I took a weekend trip to Haneda Airport International Terminal. Just as flight SQ632 (registration 9V-SMC, delivered this May, equipped with RR Trent XWB-84 engines) had just landed. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, ƒ/8.0 1/500s ISO100

The weather was extremely clear, and the Visibility was arguably the highest of the season.

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, ƒ/7.1 1/400s ISO125 However, you can also see that the strong westerly sun brought some inconvenience to the pilots operating at the Jet Bridge. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, ƒ/7.1 1/400s ISO125

They had to shade their eyes and strain to distinguish the displays on the Visual Docking Guidance System. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, ƒ/7.1 1/400s ISO160

About an hour later, flight SQ633 Departed. The sun had just set shortly before, so the light was dim. However, the afterglow of the setting sun hit the fuselage, making it easy to clearly distinguish the A350’s exterior features: Such as the black “eyebrows” around the cockpit, the blended winglets at the wingtips, and the massive engines. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, ƒ/6.3 1/500s ISO20000

You can see the ISO reached a terrifying 20,000. Handheld shooting meant sacrificing image quality to prevent camera shake. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, ƒ/6.3 1/500s ISO20000

Next, let’s look at Cathay Pacific’s A350. Speaking of which, on the way to the Zhuhai Airshow, the plane I was on had just landed at Hong Kong International Airport. While Taxiing towards the terminal, I suddenly saw an A350 landing ahead and to the side. I quickly whipped out my SONY RX100 to capture it. You can see its registration is B-LRE, delivered this August, equipped with RR Trent XWB-84 engines.

For the next stretch, the two planes moved in parallel. So I took the opportunity to snap a side profile of B-LRE. Really lucky with the timing.

I spotted China Airlines’ A350 while leaving Hong Kong airport, as my plane was moving towards the departure Runway. Again, I used the SONY RX100 point-and-shoot. Unfortunately, it had already entered its parking spot. I could only manage a memorial photo from the rear side. You can see this is China Airlines’ first A350, B-18901 “Mikado Pheasant”. Delivered just this September, it is also equipped with RR Trent XWB-84 engines. According to a report on China Airlines’ website:

China Airlines will introduce 14 new A350 aircraft, each will bear its own "Taiwan Aviation Ambassador" name marked on the fuselage, leading global travelers to appreciate the beauty of Taiwan and practicing the best "Public Diplomacy". In addition to the first two aircraft named "Mikado Pheasant" and "Taiwan Blue Magpie", China Airlines also held the "A350 Aviation Ambassador Series Polling Event", inviting the public to vote online for the other 12 new aircraft ambassadors. China Airlines selected the "Mikado Pheasant" and "Taiwan Blue Magpie" from bird species unique to Taiwan as the representative names for the first two new aircraft. The Mikado Pheasant is known for its kingly demeanor and is the protagonist of the New Taiwan Dollar 1,000 banknote; the Taiwan Blue Magpie won first place in the National Bird Election. Having the "Mikado Pheasant" and "Taiwan Blue Magpie" take the lead as China Airlines' A350 Aviation Ambassadors is highly representative.

Through the Wikipedia page for the A350, we know that by the end of November this year, 9 airlines worldwide have introduced the A350, with a total of 49 delivered.

Cathay Pacific 1 June 2016 7 China Airlines 30 October 2016 2 Ethiopian Airlines TBC 2 Finnair 9 October 2015 7 LATAM Brasil (formerly TAM) 25 January 2016 6 Qatar Airways 15 January 2015 12 Singapore Airlines 8 March 2016 6 Thai Airways 4 September 2016 2 Vietnam Airlines 3 July 2015 5

20170130 Update

Speaking of the photo with the sunset afterglow above, I discovered it has been stolen and used in several places. It’s really annoying. Please respect my copyright!