US carrier Delta Air Lines (Delta) introduced its flagship eco-efficient Airbus A350-900 aircraft between Dublin and Atlanta, effective from Tuesday 2 August with the first service operated by N575DZ Airbus A350-941 msn 282.
The A350 is an eco-efficient, sustainable clean-sheet aircraft designed to be a quieter, cleaner aircraft powered by RR Trent XWB-84 engines delivering 25% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat. The quietest in its class the A350 has reduced its noise footprint by 50% vs previous generation aircraft as well as lowering NOx emissions.
The A350’s EPNdB (Effective Perceived Noise Decibel) is certified up to 21.4 below ICAO Chapter 4 noise requirements with its NOx (Nitrogen (di)Oxide) emissions up to 23% below CAEP/8 ICAO standards.
The A350’s 64.75m wing-span is designed using nature’s perfect understanding of aerodynamics to maximise lift and reduce drag, further optimising fuel burn and lowering CO2 emissions.
The A350’s wing-design feature is the Variable Camber (VC). The VC allows the flaps to be deflected symmetrically in cruise to optimise the wing profile and better control the longitudinal loads on the wing optimising the lift over drag ratio in cruise.
The Differential Flaps Settings (DFS), unique to the A350, optimises cruise aerodynamic efficiency and lateral loads through the control of the wing centre of the lift position where inner and outer flaps are deflected differentially.
The aircraft acquired from LATAM will be operated in temporary seating configuration of 336 seats pending further modification to one consistent with the A350 aircraft currently in our fleet in 306 seat layout. These nine additional aircraft will enable the carrier gain economies of scale with its existing 17 A350-900s.
Delta headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, operates from Dublin Airport Terminal 2 to Atlanta daily (Airbus A350-900) Boston daily (Boeing 767-300ER) and New York JFK daily (Airbus A330-300). Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance.
Images Credit to Barry Graham
Irish Aviation Research Institute © 7 August All Rights Reserved
