Sheikh Mohammed tours first Emirates A350 aircraft

Dubai airline's wide-body plane is set to make its maiden journey to Edinburgh in January

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, touring the first Emirates A350 aircraft. He is accompanied by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and group. Photo: Dubai Media OfficeShow less

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has toured the interior of Emirates' first Airbus A350 aircraft, which is set to make its maiden flight in January.

In pictures shared on social media on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed can be seen inspecting the facilities of the wide-body aircraft, which includes Economy, Premium Economy and Business classes. He was accompanied on the tour by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of the Emirates airline and group.

Emirates took delivery of its first Airbus A350 aeroplane on Monday. It is scheduled to make its first flight to Edinburgh on January 3, a week earlier than previously announced.

Flight EK23 will leave Dubai at 2.50pm and arrive in the Scottish capital at 7.05pm local time. The return flight, EK24, will depart from Edinburgh at 8.40pm and arrive in Dubai at 08.05am local time on the following day.

Edinburgh will be followed by eight other destinations across the Middle East, West Asia and Europe.

Emirates took delivery of its first Airbus A350 airplane on Monday. It is scheduled to make its first flight to Edinburgh on January 3, a week earlier than previously announced. Photo: Dubai Media Office

The handover of the airline's first A350 model was postponed several times this year. The delays stemmed from a combination of supply chain issues for parts including seats and the in-flight entertainment, as well as technical testing of items on board the aircraft while on the ground and in the air, Adnan Kazim, deputy president and chief commercial officer of Emirates, told The National in October.

The A350 can accommodate up to 350 passengers in a standard three-class configuration, and is suitable for various needs, from short-distance flights to ultra-long-range routes of up to 18,000km non-stop.

Emirates had earlier said it invested about $48 million in advanced equipment and systems to train pilots and cabin crew on the Airbus A350 aircraft.

Emirates has 65 Airbus A350-900 aircraft on order. The airline aims to use them to serve ultra-long-haul destinations in the US, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand – all up to 15 hours of flying time from Dubai – following the initial launch of the wide-body jets on mainly regional routes.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, visits Emirates airline at Dubai International Airport to review the latest addition to its fleet, the Airbus A350. All photos: Dubai Media Office

The Airbus A350 is the first of 65 aircraft scheduled for delivery in the next few years

Sheikh Mohammed views the onboard entertainment system

An Emirates pilot shows Sheikh Mohammed the Airbus A350 cockpit