The Boeing 787 vs The Airbus A350: Which Plane Is Best?

Airbus and Boeing’s flagship widebodies have undoubtedly stolen the show on a number of occasions, and it has not been any different at the latest edition of the Dubai Airshow. The types have made several headlines recently, with major airlines continuing to bet on them by adding to their order books.

Over the past decade, the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 families have been the dominant flagship widebodies, shaping the future of many operators in the long-haul market. Built with new components and lighter materials and carrying some of the most advanced engines delivering exceptional range and efficiency, these two represent the best innovation and technological advancement from both manufacturers. So, which plane is best?

As we compare the two jets, it is important to note that they weren’t built as direct rivals. The 787 looked to redefine point-to-point long-haul travel by offering a long-range, medium-capacity aircraft, while the A350 is positioned as a higher-capacity aircraft meant to challenge existing twin-engine widebodies. However, the pair have been rivals for some time now, so let’s see how they compare.

How will we compare the two?

We will rank the two planes on several key factors such as capacity, range, fuel burn, cost, etc. We will think from an airline perspective, where business and profit are key. While one of the planes might have a cool feature, unless it makes an improvement financially, then it will be ignored. This includes items like mood lighting, which is fantastic for passengers but doesn’t really impact the bottom line. However, both the 787 and A350 have exceptional cabins.

Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock

We will also compare the latest versions, the 787-10 and the A350-1000. The smaller 787-8 is more in competition with the A330neo and would not be suitable against the A350. Some might suggest it is better to compare the Boeing 777X and the Airbus A350-1000 as that is a more accurate match, but as the 777X is yet to enter service, it would not be a fair test.

It is also worth mentioning that the Dreamliner program has been around longer than the A350. The 787 was launched in April 2004, with the first -8 entering commercial service in 2011. The A350, with the -900, entered commercial service in January 2015, nearly four years later. However, regarding the manufacturers’ largest variants, the 787-10 made its commercial debut in April 2018 with launch customer Singapore Airlines, while the A350-1000 model debuted two months earlier with Qatar Airways. The competition has been tight ever since.

Airbus A350-1000 vs Boeing 787-10

Let’s compare them head to head with the raw numbers:

Photo: Airbus

Now, let’s break down each item:

Seating: The Airbus A350 can handle more passengers than the Boeing in a two-class configuration. This is due to its wider and longer fuselage. However, the layout is at the airline’s discretion, so these size gaps could be made redundant depending on the operator. For example, on the A350, British Airways might have 219 economy seats in a three-class configuration, while Qatar Airways has 281 in a two-class.

Fuel capacity: The Airbus has larger fuel tanks than the Boeing, as per its more extensive range.

Cargo capacity: Despite the Airbus being bigger than the Boeing, they both have roughly the same cargo capacity.

Range: The A350-1000 has a longer range than the Boeing 787-10. Indeed, the -10 sacrifices range for capacity, a significant downside for the aircraft.

Runway take-off length: It turns out the bigger plane can deliver more take-off thrust and thus take off from a shorter runway.

What about the price?

From reading the information above, you will realize that the Airbus A350 beats the 787 in passenger numbers, range, and fuel capacity, which makes sense since it is a bigger aircraft. However, this is one last area we have not compared: price.

• Boeing 787-10: $338.4 million
• Airbus A350-1000: $355.7 million

As you can see, the Boeing 787 is cheaper. If an airline is not flying more than the maximum distance of the 787 between smaller destinations that do not have the passenger demand to support a larger plane (such as a Boeing 777), then all that is left to care about is price.

Photo: Emirates

Notably, airlines never pay the actual list prices for aircraft. Instead, they get massive discounts depending on the size of their order. Additionally, airlines have to weigh delivery times as well. Both the A350 and 787 are on lengthy back orders, meaning deals could be contingent on delivery dates.

The final aspect of our comparison is fleet commonality. The A350 shares a common cockpit and type rating with the A330, so for any airline already operating the smaller widebody, the 350 is a natural fit. The 787 also has a significant amount of commonality with other Boeing-manufactured planes, particularly the B777.

Read more: Find out What Commonality Between Aircraft Types Means.

Which has been more popular?

Sales numbers are the strongest indicator of a type’s success in the market. When looking at the figures, the 787-10 hasn’t been the most successful Dreamliner variant, selling about 263 units. Meanwhile, the A350-1000 has also seen limited success, with about 240 units on order from airlines. While we mentioned the two families making headlines recently, this was not the case with the larger variants in Dubai.

Instead, the B787-9 took the spotlight, receiving orders from flydubai, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, and Ethiopian Airlines. On the other hand, the A350-900 received orders from Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, and Emirates, which ordered 15 more. However, the Dreamliner and A350 programs have been much more successful across all variants, selling over 1,800 787s across the trio (787-8, -9, and -10) and over 1,000 A350s (A350-900, -1000, and freighters combined). It’s clear to see that the highest capacity variants aren’t the most successful but instead are part of a larger ecosystem.

Of course, the A350 program is newer to the market than the 787, which is now coming up to two decades since it was announced. Therefore, the Boeing jet has more time to gain clients as they retire their aging widebodies and look for new ones. However, there is no doubt that the 787’s capacity and versatility have made it a mainstay in global fleets, and it is likely to remain the top dog in orders for a while to come.

Currently, 36 carriers operate the A350, and about seven operate the -1000 variant. Meanwhile, the Dreamliner has about 72 operators, with nine flying the -10 variant. Several airlines have both families in their fleet, but British Airways and Etihad are the only two actively operating the A350-1000 and the B787-10.

Conclusion

So, who is the real winner? Ultimately, it depends on how an airline intends to use the aircraft and how much it is willing to spend. If you want a long-range aircraft with maximum passengers, the A350-1000 is perfect. But if you have a shorter route within seven hours, then the Boeing 787-10 will give you better economics.

Photo: Thor Jorgen Udvang | Shutterstock

Looking at the largest operators, Qatar Airways flies its A350-1000 on the heaviest demand long-haul routes to maximize profits. Meanwhile, United Airlines uses its 787-10s in diverse ways, including daily domestic rotations and some long-haul sectors to Europe as well.

Which aircraft do you prefer? How else would you compare the two? Please let us know in the comments!