Japan Airlines has revealed the details of its new A350-1000 aircraft, which it calls its new flagship aircraft, to replace the current long-haul aircraft for the airline, the Airbus A350-1000. The airline has 13 of these aircraft on order, and it expects to launch services with these aircraft within 2023.

Japan Airlines has 13 A350-1000s on order.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has 13 A350-1000s on order, which the airline now refers to as its new flagship aircraft. The airline currently uses the Boeing 777-300ER, and these aircraft could take over the long-haul missions from them in the coming days. The current long-haul fleet for JAL is between 15 and 19 years old. JAL intends to replace all aircraft in the fleet by 2028, with the first two arriving before 2023 closes.

JAL is already a customer of the A350-900 variant, but these are used for domestic flights inside Japan and are in a very dense configuration. The new A350-1000 aircraft will first take over the Tokyo Haneda – New York JFK route for the airline. While there has yet to be a set date for the transition to the new aircraft, it will very well happen within 2023, although only on one of the two daily flights.

JAL’s new A350-1000 will be premium heavy

The new aircraft will be in a premium-heavy configuration with just 239 seats, including six first-class suites, 54 business-class suites, 24 premium economy and 155 economy-class seats.

Here is a video render JAL released about their new product.

JAL’s new 1-1-1 First Class

Japan Airlines’ new A350-1000 first class will have six seats spread across two rows in a 1-1-1 configuration. The airline claims that its new first class is 1.3 times larger than the version it will replace. The airline equates the First Class with relaxing at home, with its “Spacious and wide” sofa seats. All behind privacy doors, on JAL’s First Class for the first time.

To give a more spacious feel, there will be no overhead bins in the cabin, and each seat will get a wardrobe and a storage space.

But the bonkers come now. The suite will offer three seating modes: a sofa, a seat + a single bed and a double bed mode.

The seats will have the world’s first headphone-free stereo, with built-in headrest speakers. Passengers won’t need headphones to enjoy their IFE.

Also, the suite will have the standard trimmings usually expected of Emirates, including wireless charging, a minibar and the ability to communicate with the cabin crew through a monitor at the seat.

JAL’s new 1-2-1 Business Class

JAL will have 52 seats in 14 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration onboard their A350-1000 aircraft, and each seat will also feature privacy doors.

Yet again, seats will get a personal wardrobe along with baggage storage, but there will be overhead bins along the side panels as well.

The Business Class seats will also feature the headrest speakers as with First Class, and the seats will also feature wireless charging.

JAL’s A350 premium economy class

JAL’s new A350-1000 premium economy will consist of 24 seats, spread across three rows in a 2-4-2 configuration and come with 42″ of pitch, which will be much better than competing products. This PEY version will be the first PEY product in the world to offer an electronically-operated recline. It looks more like a domestic business-class product than an international PEY product.

JAL’s A350 economy class

JAL’s new A350-1000 economy will have 155 seats spread across 18 rows in a 3-3-3 configuration, to be offered by Recaro.

Japan Airlines’ refreshed soft product

Japan Airlines will also refresh various aspects of its soft product to coincide with the new aircraft’s entry into service. In first and business class, the airline will introduce new vegan and vegetarian menus, apart from a dine-on-demand concept in business class (not immediately, but in 2024). JAL will also offer sleeper suits, except that in business class, they will be lent to you, and you would have to return them (you cannot take them off the plane, it seems).

Overall, the airline is going head to head with Emirates with their new first-class design, or perhaps even better (without the fully closed suites). The headphone-free experience also sounds excellent, giving the customers more freedom to move and lounge around.

Bottomline

Japan Airlines will soon take delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000, which will start the cycle of replacing the Boeing 777-300ER fleet of the airline. The first aircraft will serve between Tokyo and New York as of late 2023. The airline will also introduce all new First Class, Business Class and very spacious premium economy and economy cabins.

What do you think of Japan Airlines’ new A350-1000 aircraft?

---

Liked our articles and our efforts? Please pay an amount you are comfortable with; an amount you believe is the fair price for the content you have consumed. Please enter an amount in the box below and click on the button to pay; you can use Netbanking, Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, QR codes, or any Wallet to pay. Every contribution helps cover the cost of the content generated for your benefit.

(Important: to receive confirmation and details of your transaction, please enter a valid email address in the pop-up form that will appear after you click the ‘Pay Now’ button. For international transactions, use Paypal to process the transaction.)

We are not putting our articles behind any paywall where you are asked to pay before you read an article. We are asking you to pay after you have read the article if you are satisfied with the quality and our efforts.