French bee yesterday kicked off flights between Miami and Paris Orly. The low-cost, long-haul carrier is deploying its Airbus A350-900 on the transoceanic route, adding to the airline's ever-growing United States network.

Transatlantic prospects

The carrier now flies to four destinations across the United States. Miami International Airport combines with Newark Liberty International, San Francisco International, and Los Angeles International to give the airline a strong presence on both coasts. Notably, the latter was only launched in April of this year. While a strong emphasis of the airline is on French Polynesia and Réunion, US routes are increasingly becoming in an abundance.

Thus, the Airbus A350 is the trusted vessel for these services across the Atlantic Ocean. The airline previously held the Airbus A330-300. However, it quickly favored Airbus' other widebody powerhouse, with the first A350 joining the fold in early 2018.

The airline today holds four A350-900s and two A350-1000s. The most recent -1000 only joined the fleet his month, with F-HMIB outright owned by the carrier.

The -900s are packed with 376 economy and 35 premium economy seats. Meanwhile, the -1000s hold 440 economy and 40 premium economy seats. Thus, the latter type is reserved for the high-capacity route to Réunion while the former is dotted across the network.

Along with the efficiency benefits to be had with the A350 over A330-300, including the composite materials aiding in lower fuel costs, there are several advantages across the board. For instance, the A330-900 has a range of 7,200 NM (13,334km), while the A350-900’s figure is 8,100 NM (15,000 km). This factor allowed French bee's A350 to break a record for the longest non-stop domestic commercial flight when it flew between Tahiti’s Faa'a International and Paris Orly.

The right balance

Highlighting the overall benefits of the A350, French bee CEO Marc Rochet explained to Simple Flying that passengers experiencing the A350 appreciate the new technology of the plane. He noted that there are now two jets that are above the previous generation in technology and control - the Boeing 787 and the A350.

When it comes to the A350, Rochet said:

“The pressurization, the silence, and the ratio of new and fresh air flow oxygen humidity is much better than the previous configuration of let's say, the A330, the 747, or even the 777. So, when people travel in the A350, they really understand the upside. Comfort and seat design very important. People know what they are buying and they know value for money. It's not a business class, it's an economy plane. You buy an eco seat, but you can save on the price. But for this price, you have good comfort and people are more than happy."

It’s not only the comfort of the cabin that excels. The balance of economics is a prime aspect.

“Today, in our configuration, the fuel burn on the A350 is 25% below the previous technology. When you have a cost of fuel that almost doubled, but you are burning 25% less, you immediately have an economic benefit. This will, at the end of the day, be translated into the pricing. So, you are flying an airplane which will have better economic performance. On the North Atlantic, you have some 787s, and you have some A350s. But you have a lot of old planes that are burning more fuel. So, at the end of the day we have an economic benefit.”

Looking ahead

While it’s French bee's -900 that is spotted across the US, we could see the -1000 soon join its sibling on routes to the country. Primarily, as the New York operation grows in this period of recovery, passenger and cargo demand may grow enough to require the larger variant.

With flights BF742 and BF743 now underway on the Miami route, we can expect further developments regarding French bee’s North American service in 2023. The airline is keen to keep momentum going in this next chapter.

What are your thoughts about the Airbus A350? How do you feel the aircraft fits in with French bee’s operations? Let us know what you think of the overall prospects in the comment section.

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  Airbus

  Stock Code:

  AIR

  Date Founded:

  1970-12-18

  CEO:

  Guillaume Faury

  Headquarters Location:

  Toulouse, France

  Key Product Lines:

  Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380

  Business Type:

  Planemaker

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  French bee

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  BF/FBU

  Airline Type:

  Low-Cost Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Paris Orly Airport

  Year Founded:

  2016

  CEO:

  Marc Rochet

  Country:

  France