Behind the scenes with Fiji Airways first A350

Fiji Airways has just received its first Airbus A350 aircraft.

This the first of the two it has on order, with the second one expected by mid-December and, perhaps, if all goes well, a third may be acquired further into the future, or at least one this is one of the things the airline’s CEO, André Viljoen, hinted at during the delivery ceremony in Toulouse.

The specifics of Fiji Airways’ A350 and the role the airline expects it to play in key markets are detailed in this piece that I wrote for The Points Guy, so won’t be repeating them here.

The purpose of this post, instead, is to share some other aspects of the delivery ceremony, which took place at the Airbus Delivery Center in Toulouse on 15th November.

First glimpse of Fiji Airways’ A350, ready at Airbus’ Delivery Center

It was really cold in Toulouse, but the delivery ceremony brought us some of the warmth of the Southern Seas. Here, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and senior executives of Rolls Royce (that provided the Trent XWB engines that power the A350) and DAE Capital (the leasing firm that owns the plane), take part in a traditional Fijian ceremony prior to Fiji Airways taking official delivery of the aircraft.

Fiji Airways CEO, André Viljoen, outlined the importance of the A350 for the airline’s future growth plans.

“Bula!!!” the traditional Fijian chant, was a constant throughout the ceremony (it also gives its name to Fiji Airways premium economy product)

Not bothered at all by the cold and rainy weather in Toulouse…!

We also had a chance to have a close look at the aircraft, both outside and inside.

The eye-catching livery and decorative patterns (inspired in Fijian traditions) make Fiji Airways aircraft stand out wherever they fly to.

We also went inside the aircraft, and not just inside the cabin!

This is what the cockpit of an Airbus A350-900 looks like

André Viljoen, at the helm of Fiji Airways

The rich, but elegant, decorative patterns are also very present inside the aircraft, particularly in the business class cabin. The Fijian experience starts when you board the aircraft!

Fiji Airways CEO, André Viljoen, posing proudly with its business class cabin

And this (below) is what a factory-new airliner cabin looks like. For more details on the exact specifications of the product (seats, IFE, etc.) check out my report on The Points Guy.