Airbus A350-800

The planned long-range widebody that never entered production.

Overview

Airbus France ICAO: A358 2010–2017 $269.5 million

The Airbus A350-800 was conceived as the smallest member of the A350 family. Announced in the mid-2000s, it was intended to replace earlier-generation widebodies in the 250-seat class. The variant was ultimately canceled as airlines favored larger models.

Live Fleet Activity (A358)

📡

Fetching live data…

Specifications

Units
Engine
2 × Rolls Royce Trent XWB
Engine type
Turbofan
Thrust
2 × 74,000 lbf · 329 kN
Avionics
Thales Avionics Suite
Wing tips
Blended tips
Seats
312 economy · 270 business
Crew
—
Cabin width
18 ft 5 in  ·  5.61 m
Cabin height
7 ft 3 in  ·  2.20 m
Cabin length
149 ft 3 in  ·  45.50 m
Exterior length
198 ft 10 in  ·  60.60 m
Tail height
56 ft 1 in  ·  17.10 m
Fuselage diameter
19 ft 7 in  ·  5.96 m
Wing span
212 ft 5 in  ·  64.75 m
Baggage volume
4,061 ft³  ·  115.0 m³
Gross weight
—
Empty weight
—
Max takeoff weight
571,000 lb  ·  259,000 kg
Max landing weight
—
Max payload
78,500 lb  ·  35,700 kg
Fuel capacity
39,650 gal · 150,000 L · 120,000 kg (Jet A)
Max cruise speed
510 kt  ·  587 mph  ·  945 km/h
Maximum speed
—
Cruise speed
—
Approach speed
155 kt  ·  178 mph  ·  287 km/h
Range
8,316 nm  ·  9,570 mi  ·  15,400 km
Fuel burn
0.20 nm/gal  ·  0.10 km/L
Ceiling
43,000 ft  ·  13,100 m
Rate of climb
3,000 ft/min  ·  15 m/s
Takeoff distance
8,000 ft  ·  2,440 m
Landing distance
4,000 ft  ·  1,220 m
(/) tap to zoom
(/)
Airbus A350 cockpit windows

Live fleet activity details

📡
Fetching live data…
All Active Aircraft Types
Flight Airline Reg Alt Speed Heading V/S

Operational Context

Airbus A350-800 — proposed long-range widebody airliner

The A350-800 was originally launched as part of Airbus’s response to new composite widebody competitors. It was designed to carry roughly 250 passengers over intercontinental distances. As development progressed, airline demand shifted toward the larger A350-900 and -1000 variants.

The aircraft would have been powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB turbofan engines producing approximately 84,000 pounds of thrust (374 kN) each. Cruise speed was projected near Mach 0.85. Maximum takeoff weight was expected to exceed 540,000 pounds (245,000 kg), with range approaching 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 km).

Despite initial orders, the -800 program was discontinued before production. Airbus redirected resources to the more commercially successful A350 variants. The A350-800 remains an example of market dynamics reshaping aircraft programs before entry into service.

Blog mentions