So ITA transforms A350s from two to three classes. Here's what the new Premium Economy looks like
ITA Airways and Atitech have released the first photos of work underway in the hangars at Capodichino to equip the [...]
ITA Airways
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ITA Airways and Atitech have released the first photos of the work in progress in the hangars at Capodichino To equip the fleet with six Airbus A350-900s. belonging to the Italian flag carrier of a Premium Economy cabin, thus bringing them in line with the rest of the medium- and long-haul fleet, consisting of A330-900s and A321neo.
E The Flight Club can show off the new cabin, thanks to a thoughtful reader who, after a trip on one of the retrofitted A350s, posted the photo in our Facebook community. It is, as you can see, a real cabin in its own right, equipped with Three rows of 8 seats each, in a 2-4-2 configuration, for a total of 24 seats.
The seats, however, differ from those fitted on the A330-900 and A321neo for the fact of Not having the 'flaps' on either side of the headrest, that provide an extra bit of privacy for passengers traveling next to each other but not together, as well as greater comfort when sleeping.
Colors, materials, and details of upholstery are still the same and the seating appears significantly more generous than that of the Economy seats.
The photos taken in the Capodichino hangar are those of the third A350 that went 'under the knife,' the aircraft marks 'EI-IFF' dedicated to former national team coach Enzo Bearzot, originally entered the fleet in July 2022.
ITA, in fact, has already modified and recommissioned the first two aircraft to which Premium Economy has been added. In the first case, that of the A350 brands AI-IFE 'Alessandro Del Piero', originally delivered in September 2022, the operation lasted about a month, because the change made to the interior had to go through certification by the regulatory body.
In the second case, however, the surgery took only a fortnight and the plane, which had last flown without Premium Economy on May 15 between Tokyo Haneda and Rome Fiumicino, was put back into service in early June operating a rotation between the Rome airport and Buenos Aires. Thanks to such a tight schedule, ITA expects to have the entire fleet of 6 A350s with Premium Economy on board for the 'hottest' month of the summer season, August.
As a result of the changes made, three-class A350s have slightly less seat capacity than two-class A350s: if, in fact, before they could carry 334 passengers (33 in Business and 301 in Economy), capacity is now down to 319 seats (of which 33 in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 262 in Economy).
A350s had been acquired during 2022 taking over an order placed with Airbus by China's Hainan Airlines, which had then dropped it. The interiors had been customized in the colors and materials desired by ITA but, wanting to put the aircraft into service as soon as possible in order to 'retire' some of the long-haul aircraft inherited from Alitalia, the Italian carrier had been unable to change the interior configuration, which was two-class.
The operation to make the product uniform will be completed in a few weeks, although Between A350 and A330-900 will remain a difference In the type of seat fitted in business class.
A350s have, in fact, Collins Aerospace Super Diamond 'Inverted herringbone', while the A330-900s have Thompson Vantage XLs. that look straight toward the front of the aircraft. In both cases, however, the seats are (obviously). lie-flat and in a 1-2-1 configuration.
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