On Friday, French national flag carrier Air France welcomed its tenth Airbus A350-900 to its fleet of 282 aircraft. The aircraft, registration number F-HTYK, has been named "Aubusson" after the municipality in the Creuse department region in central France. Aubusson became well known for its tapestries after a group of Flemish weavers took shelter there around 1580.The Airbus A350-900 is Air France's flagship aircraft, and it the latest in a batch of ten to be delivered to the SkyTeam alliance member out of an order of 38 planes. Air France will base its new Airbus A350-900 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), from where it will be deployed on some of the airline's premium long-haul routes.

How the delivery works

Before an airline takes delivery of an aircraft from the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, it carries out a thorough check to ensure that the aircraft conforms to all contractual specifications. The airline taking delivery sends a team of experts to Toulouse, which then spends five days with the Airbus delivery team going over the aircraft.

• Day one: A ground check of external surfaces together with a static aircraft system, cabin, cockpit, and engine check
• Day two: Flight check to test all aircraft systems and the planes behavior
• Day three: A physical rework or provision for all technical and quality snags
• Day four: Completion of technical acceptance attesting to the aircraft conforming to technical specifications and issuing the Airworthiness Certificate
• Day five: Transfer of deeds to the purchasing airline and preparation for the plane's delivery to its home base

The Airbus A350 defines passenger comfort

Air France has configured its A350s to have 324 seats with 34 seats in business class, 24 in premium economy, and 266 in economy class.

Onboard Air France Airbus A350s passengers will enjoy the following:

• A quiet and spacious cabin
• Large windows
• A more comfortable cabin atmosphere with regularly renewed cabin air
• Lighting that adapts to different phases of the flight

Passengers traveling in business class are guaranteed a restful night's sleep thanks to seats that transform into a two-meter-long (6.56 ft) fully flat bed. Those traveling in premium economy will experience the airline's new recliner seat that is 48 centimeters (18.89) wide and reclines to 124°. In standard economy, Air France has redesigned the seats for more comfort with a reinforced ergonomic seat cushion, a 118° recline, and individual high-definition touch screen entertainment systems.

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Air France is committed to reducing CO2

By renewing its fleet, Air France shows its commitment to more sustainable air transport, which aligns with its HORIZON 2030 commitments. The HORIZON 2030 commitment is a pledge by Air France to reduce its per passenger CO2 emissions by 50% compared to 2005 levels.

The Airbus A350 consumes 25% less fuel than previous generations aircraft thanks to its construction using composites and titanium. Yesterday's new arrival will soon be followed by the airline's 11th Airbus A350, named after the French Riviera city of ‘Cannes’m in line with its decision to name all of its new aircraft after cities in France.

Regarding its short and medium-haul fleet, Air France says it is expecting to take delivery of its first of 60 Airbus A220s starting in September.

Have you flown on one of Air Frances A350s? If so, please tell us what you thought about it in the comments.