Airbus and Boeing's flagship widebodies have undoubtedly stolen the show on a number of occasions, and it has not been any different at the latest edition of the Dubai Airshow. The types have made several headlines recently, with major airlines continuing to bet on them by adding to their order books.

Over the past decade, the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 families have been the dominant flagship widebodies, shaping the future of many operators in the long-haul market. Built with new components and lighter materials and carrying some of the most advanced engines delivering exceptional range and efficiency, these two represent the best innovation and technological advancement from both manufacturers. So, which plane is best?

As we compare the two jets, it is important to note that they weren't built as direct rivals. The 787 looked to redefine point-to-point long-haul travel by offering a long-range, medium-capacity aircraft, while the A350 is positioned as a higher-capacity aircraft meant to challenge existing twin-engine widebodies. However, the pair have been rivals for some time now, so let's see how they compare.

How will we compare the two?

We will rank the two planes on several key factors such as capacity, range, fuel burn, cost, etc. We will think from an airline perspective, where business and profit are key. While one of the planes might have a cool feature, unless it improves the situation financially, then it will be ignored. This includes items like mood lighting, which is fantastic for passengers but doesn't really impact the bottom line. However, both the 787 and A350 have exceptional cabins.

We will also compare the latest versions, the 787-10 and the A350-1000. The smaller 787-8 is more in competition with the A330neo and would not be comparable with the A350. Some might suggest it is better to compare the Boeing 777X and the Airbus A350-1000 as that is a more accurate match, but as the 777X is yet to enter service, it would not be a fair test.

It is also worth mentioning that the Dreamliner program has been around longer than the A350. The 787 was launched in April 2004, with the first -8 entering commercial service in 2011. The A350-900 entered commercial service in January 2015, nearly four years later. However, regarding the manufacturers' largest variants, the 787-10 made its commercial debut in April 2018 with launch customer Singapore Airlines, while the A350-1000 model debuted two months earlier with Qatar Airways. The competition has been tight ever since.

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Airbus A350-1000 vs Boeing 787-10

Let's compare these modern widebodies head to head in raw numbers:

The Airbus A350 can handle more passengers than the Boeing in any configuration. As we can see, the fuselage is around five inches wider than the Dreamliner (hence the Xtra Wide Body monicker), and those inches matter. The A350-1000 is certified for 10-abreast seating, although only a few airlines have opted for this, with most choosing the more spacious 9-abreast configuration.

The biggest difference, however, is the massive length of the fuselage of the XWB. At a significant 18 feet longer than the 787-10, it provides for several more rows and increased passenger capacity. Of course, the layout is at the airline's discretion, so not all A350-1000s will have more passengers than the 787-10. For example, British Airways has a total of 331 seats in three classes on its A350-1000s, while, according to FlightGlobal, Japan's ANA is planning to fly high-density 787-10s on domestic routes with as many as 429 passengers on board.

In terms of fuel capacity, Airbus is constantly working to improve its products, and has increased the maximum takeoff weight, fuel capacity and, consequently, the range of the A350-1000 since its introduction. It could already fly further than the 787-10 by some margin, and now it can go a little bit further. Airline operators are able to reach most corners of the world with these long-range widebodies, and with the work being done to facilitate Qantas' Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul flights, the A350-1000 hasn't reached its limits yet.

But the 787-10 puts up a good show too. Its solid range offering of more than 6,000 NM makes for a capable aircraft, suited to flying the vast majority of long-haul routes around the world. Operators would argue that the extra miles are barely worth it for the few niche routes that the extra range would open up. And at what cost? The longer and wider A350-1000 has a zero fuel weight of 245 tons (223 tonnes, per Airbus), whereas the 787-10 weighs in at around 150 tons (136 tonnes, per PlanePHD) - heavier aircraft cost more to run, and that gives airlines food for thought.

What about the price?

On paper, the A350-1000 is far more capable than the 787-10, although as mentioned its capabilities come at a weight cost. But there is one area we have not compared: price.

• Boeing 787-10: $338.4 million
• Airbus A350-1000: $355.7 million

As you can see, the Boeing 787 is cheaper. If an airline is not flying more than the maximum distance of the 787 between smaller destinations that do not have the passenger demand to support a larger plane (such as a Boeing 777), then all that is left to care about is price.

Notably, airlines never pay the actual list prices for aircraft. Instead, they get massive discounts depending on the size of their order. Additionally, airlines have to weigh delivery times as well. Both the A350 and 787 are on lengthy back orders, meaning deals could be contingent on delivery dates.

The final aspect of our comparison is fleet commonality. The A350 shares a common cockpit and type rating with the A330, so for any airline already operating the smaller widebody, the A350 is a natural fit. The 787 also has a significant amount of commonality with other Boeing-manufactured planes, particularly the 777.

Which has been more popular?

Sales numbers are the strongest indicator of a type's success in the market. When looking at the figures, the 787-10 hasn't been the most successful Dreamliner variant, selling 243 units to date, per Boeing's latest order and delivery data, out of total 787 sales of 1,843. Meanwhile, the A350-1000 has also seen limited success, with 226 units ordered to date, per Airbus.

While we mentioned the two families making headlines recently, this was not the case with the larger variants in Dubai during 2023. Instead, the 787-9 took the spotlight, receiving orders from flydubai, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, and Ethiopian Airlines.

On the other hand, the A350-900 received orders from Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, and Emirates, which ordered 15 more. However, the Dreamliner and A350 programs have been much more successful across all variants, selling over 1,800 787s across the trio (787-8, -9, and -10) and over 1,000 A350s (A350-900, -1000, and freighters combined). It's clear to see that the highest capacity variants aren't the most successful but instead are part of a larger ecosystem.

Of course, the A350 program is newer to the market than the 787, which is now coming up to two decades since it was announced. Therefore, the Boeing jet has more time to gain clients as they retire their aging widebodies and look for new ones. However, there is no doubt that the 787's capacity and versatility have made it a mainstay in global fleets, and it is likely to remain the top dog in orders for a while to come.

Currently, 36 carriers operate the A350, and about seven operate the -1000 variant. Meanwhile, the Dreamliner has about 72 operators, with nine flying the -10 variant. Several airlines have both families in their fleet, but British Airways and Etihad are the only two actively operating the A350-1000 and the B787-10.

Conclusion

So, who is the real winner? Ultimately, it depends on how an airline intends to use the aircraft and how much it is willing to spend. If you want a long-range aircraft with maximum passengers, the A350-1000 is perfect. But if you have a shorter route within seven hours, then the Boeing 787-10 will give you better economics.

Looking at the largest operators, Qatar Airways flies its A350-1000 on the heaviest demand long-haul routes to maximize profits. Meanwhile, United Airlines uses its 787-10s in diverse ways, including daily domestic rotations and some long-haul sectors to Europe as well.

Which aircraft do you prefer? How else would you compare the two? Please let us know in the comments!

• 

  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

• 

  Boeing

  Stock Code:

  BA

  Date Founded:

  1916-07-15

  CEO:

  Dave Calhoun

  Headquarters Location:

  Chicago, USA

  Key Product Lines:

  Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787

  Business Type:

  Planemaker