Cathay Pacific Airways has become the second airline to operate the A350-1000, the largest member of the A350 family. The airline took delivery of the aircraft at a special event in Toulouse, France, on 19th June.

The aircraft is the first of 20 A350-1000s ordered by Cathay Pacific and will join the carrier’s growing fleet of A350 XWB aircraft, which already includes 22 A350-900s. A further seven aircraft are due for delivery by the end of 2018.

The A350-1000 will be deployed on the airline’s new non-stop route from Hong-Kong to Washington DC, representing the longest flight - approximately 17 hours - performed by any airline out of Hong Kong.

The A350-1000 is Airbus’ largest widebody twin, offering a range of 8,000nm (14,800km) at entry into service. With a 7m-longer fuselage, the A350-1000 space for premium cabin products is 40% larger than its smaller sibling, the A350-900.

The A350-1000, which received EASA and FAA certification in November, features a modified wing trailing-edge, new six-wheel main landing gears and more powerful Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines.

To date 11 customers from five continents have ordered a total of 168 A350-1000s.

The first A350-1000 was handed over to launch customer Qatar Airways in February, the first of 37 A350-1000s ordered by the carrier.