The Airbus A350 vs A330neo

Airbus

Stock Code

AIR

Business Type

Planemaker

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

The Airbus A330 has always been an enigmatic aircraft. Neither as popular as the Airbus A320 series, nor as big as the Airbus A350, it finds itself right in the middle of the Airbus family lineup. The same can be said for the latest version, the A330neo. But does this type find itself in the role of a sub-par A350? Or is it secretly a superior aircraft that will soon find its feet in the marketplace? Let us see how the two compare.

Comparative specifications

Because the A330-800 has not been very popular, the following specifications will only concern the -900 variant. Likewise, the -900 version of the A350 is more popular than the larger -1000 type, with 762 orders compared to just 168, respectively. As such, the two -900 variants will be the subject of the following comparisons of the respective aircraft’s specifications.

Passenger capacity

Airbus states that the A330-900 can carry 260-300 passengers onboard in a three-class setup, but 440 in a one-class all-economy configuration. Comparatively, the larger A350-900 can carry 300-350 passengers when configured for three classes, and, once again, 440 in an all-economy configuration.

For comparison’s sake, the A330-900 is only three meters shorter than the A350-900. Another aspect contributing to the two aircraft’s capacity differences is the respective seating configurations within each cabin. Delta Air Lines operates both types, and we can see that economy on its A330-900 is eight seats wide, using a 2-4-2 configuration. In contrast, its A350-900 uses a denser nine-seat 3-3-3 setup.

The ultra-long-range version of the A350-900, used by Singapore Airlines to operate the world’s longest scheduled commercial flight between Singapore and New York, only has 161 seats. Seven of the -900ULR variants were built for Singapore Airlines, and they do not feature an economy cabin. Instead, they are configured with 67 business and 94 premium economy seats, with the low-density configuration facilitating a greater operational range.

This means that the A330-900 is equal to the A350-900 if used for a high-density economy format, perhaps on popular domestic or short-haul routes. This would see it potentially rival the future 797 from Boeing.

Operational range

One can also see some differences between the two types when it comes to their respective operational ranges. The A330-900 has a range of 7,200 NM (13,334km), while the A350-900 has a range of 8,100 NM (15,000 km). In terms of the variants that are the subject of this comparison, the A350-900 clearly has a better range. However, the A330-800 variant, with a range of 8,150 NM (15,094 km), does perform better for this variable.

In any case, airlines are tending to favor the A350 for long-range operations. Alongside having been selected by Singapore for its ultra-long-range route between Singapore and New York, it was the Qantas aircraft of choice for Project Sunrise, which is finally going ahead!

On the subject of range and distance, the A350 is also slightly faster than the A330neo at cruise. This might not make much of a difference on short-haul routes, but, on longer sectors, the A350 would be able to save more time.

Passenger comfort

Another factor that should be considered is what it is actually like to fly on these aircraft. Indeed, most passengers will judge the aircraft on this rather than the specifics of the technical specifications. As mentioned earlier, the Airbus A350 seats passengers nine-abreast in economy, in a 3-3-3 configuration. On the other hand, the A330neo, being slightly thinner, seats economy passengers eight-abreast in a 2-4-2 configuration.

Each configuration can significantly impact how comfortable it is to fly in terms of an individual passenger’s wants and needs. There are arguments for both configurations, but the less dense 2-4-2 configuration is generally seen as the more favorable setup. This is because, among other aspects, passengers traveling as a couple are afforded more privacy in terms of having a block of seats to themselves.

Construction and cost

Another factor in this rivalry is the difference in cost and materials. The A330neo is an updated version of the Airbus A330 series and is built out of aluminum. The A350 is built from scratch with a 50% composite materials, meaning a lighter but more expensive aircraft. A lighter aircraft means fewer fuel costs and more savings over time. Their costs are approximately as follows:

• A350-900: $ 317.4 million
• A330-900: $ 296.4 million

The difference in costs will be a crucial factor when an airline decides which of the two types to order. Knowing that these aircraft are essentially the same in quite a few ways, it can be quite tempting to go for the cheaper offer over the quality of the A350. One must also keep in mind, however, the fact that real aircraft prices are generally 50% cheaper.

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Present operators

Both the A330neo and A350 can now be found in airline fleets across the world. TAP Air Portugal was the launch customer of the former, with its first example being delivered in November 2018. The Portuguese flag carrier is presently the largest operator of the type, with 19 in its fleet. In May 2020, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic even saw the airline convert two of them to be temporarily repurposed as ‘preighter’ aircraft!

Airbus A330neo

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, certain A330neo aircraft had been placed in storage due to the lower passenger demand levels. However, the aircraft has been well spotted in this recovery period.

Altogether, there have been just 77 A330neo deliveries, split by the following customers:

• Air Belgium
• Aircalin – Air Caledonie International
• Air Mauritius
• Air Senegal
• Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras
• Cebu Pacific
• Corsair International
• Citilink
• Delta Air Lines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Hi Fly
• Hi Fly Malta
• Lion Air
• Orbest
• Starlux
• Sunclass
• TAP Air Portugal
• Thai AirAsia X
• Thai Lion Air
• Uganda Airlines

Airbus A350

The Airbus A350 was introduced in January 2015 with Qatar Airways and gas proven a much more popular product among airlines. In total there have been 482 deliveries across the continents:

• Africa – Ethiopian Airlines
• Asia – Air China, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and Vietnam Airlines
• Australasia / Pacific – Fiji Airways
• Europe – Aeroflot, Air France, British Airways, Finnair, French bee, Iberia, Iberojet, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and World2Fly
• Middle East – Etihad, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines
• North / Central America – Air Caraïbes and Delta Air Lines
• South America – LATAM Brasil

Airbus has received a total of 273 orders for the passenger A350s. Here’s how it breaks down (correct as of the end of May 2022).

The company has received a total of 900 orders for the passenger A350s. The breakdown is as follows:

The Airbus A350 Freighter has also been making headlines. A total of 22 units have been ordered for the model so far.

The verdict

On the whole, it is clear that the A350 has the edge over the A330neo in terms of factors such as capacity, operational range, and cruising speed. However, the A330neo is often a more favorable option in terms of cost and passenger comfort. Overall, it isn’t easy to personally pick a winner between them, but, for now, the difference in airline orders speaks for itself. It will be interesting to see if and how this trend will develop over the coming years. Yet, the A350 has already been cited as the flagship in many fleets this decade.

What are your thoughts about the Airbus A350 and A330neo? How do you feel the two aircraft compare? Let us know what you think of the planes and their operations in the comment section.