Airbus A350 NPS Sidewall Redesign Adds 4 Inches of Width for 10-Abreast Economy; Philippine Airlines Is Third Operator of the Layout
Why It MattersWith only three carriers adopting the denser layout and the 777-9 well ahead on orders, the A350-1000 faces pressure to widen its appeal through a stretch decision due before 2030.
Airbus delivered the first A350 NPS, an A350-900, to Iberia on September 29, 2022. The NPS upgrades raised gross weight, cut empty weight, improved field performance and moved bulkheads to create more usable floor space on both A350 models. Airbus also redesigned the sidewalls to add four inches (10.2 centimeters) of interior width, which it says allows a 10-abreast economy layout with a 17-inch (43.2-centimeter) seat width. Before this, only low-cost carriers Air Caraïbes and French bee had installed 10-abreast layouts on A350s.
Philippine Airlines took its first A350-1000 in December 2025, becoming the third airline to install a 10-abreast layout on the type. Its aircraft seat 42 in business class, 24 in premium economy and 316 in economy, a total of 382 passengers. Although seat width is about the same as on a Boeing 777 or 787, the airline had to trim armrests, push seats closer to the sidewall and narrow the aisle. Simple Flying noted in July that the cabin feels noticeably tighter in economy than on the Boeing widebodies. No other airline has chosen the layout for the A350 since.
The 777-9 has more than 500 orders versus 373 for the A350-1000. Of the 12 777-9 customers, nine also order the A350; Emirates and Singapore Airlines have ordered the A350-900 but not the A350-1000, and All Nippon Airways has ordered neither A350 variant. Emirates holds 235 777-9 orders and Qatar Airways 90. Most 777-9 customers use it as a premium flagship with a first class cabin, while their A350-1000s generally have fewer business class seats and no first class.
A350-1000 sales have been modest partly because many 777-300ERs are still young and 747 replacements by 777-300ERs have largely already happened. Orders have picked up recently, with Japan Airlines (777-300ER), Virgin Atlantic (747-400) and Qantas (A380) choosing the type as a replacement. Airbus is exploring a stretched A350-1000 with capacity similar to the 777-9 and has said a program decision will come before 2030, as is also the case for an A220 stretch.
