Less than three years after its industrial launch, Airbus' A350 XWB surpassed the 500-order milestone with Ethiopian Airlines' firm order for 12 of these next-generation aircraft, which was announced at the 2009 Dubai Airshow. This new Airbus customer will operate the A350-900 version from its hub in the capital city of Addis Ababa on routes to Europe, the U.S. and Asia - bringing a new level of passenger comfort and fuel efficiency to its expanding operations. Firm orders for the A350 XWB now stand at 505 aircraft from 32 customers worldwide.
Finnair took delivery of the first of eight A330-300s ordered to develop its medium- and long-haul operation, bringing the carrier’s Airbus fleet to 35 (27 March 2009)
A 24 March 2009 ceremony marked the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s service entry of an Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator at the newly-expanded Hua-Ou Aviation Training Centre in Beijing
China’s Chongqing Airlines has taken delivery of the first of three new Airbus A319s, to be operated on routes to tourist destinations in the country’s Southwest region (24 March 2009)
