Airbus is considering developing a stretched A350 variant to match the capacity of Boeing’s forthcoming 777‑9, according to statements from Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury reported by Paddle Your Own Kanoo on June 10, 2025.
Speaking in an interview with Aviation Week, Faury stated that Airbus is looking at increasing capacity beyond the existing A350-1000 through additional fuselage inserts. “It will probably be a natural evolution of the product line … to something slightly longer, bigger, with more capabilities that will come close to the 777X in terms of seat count,” he said.
Currently, the A350‑1000 seats up to 410 passengers in a two-class layout, while Boeing’s 777‑9 is expected to carry around 426. Airbus’s development plan involves inserting structural sections into the fuselage, which would likely trigger certification requirements, such as additional emergency exits.
However, Faury emphasized that Airbus is currently focused on resolving production constraints for its existing aircraft fleets and does not plan to introduce variant-specific models soon. He noted that creating another stretched model during current rate ramp-ups could be counterproductive.
Airbus previously studied an A350‑2000 or -8000 variant in 2016–2017 but shelved the plan due to concerns about market demand and overlapping with existing models. Now, with Boeing’s 777X launch delayed and Airbus’s production lines contending with supplier bottlenecks, any future A350 stretch will likely surface post-2028.
Market experts note that such a variant would directly challenge Boeing’s long-haul twin-aisle dominance, offering airlines an alternative without resorting to the larger, four-engined A380 or gambit of the new 777X.
As Airbus advances its pipeline, including the A350F freighter and preparations for the A320 successor, the timing, design, and certification of a stretched A350 remain speculative pending formal confirmation and engineering feasibility.
