Airbus Reiterates Commitment To MENA’s A350 Aftermarket

The Airbus A350 is now fully supported by a mature ecosystem worldwide, according to Airbus, and in the Middle East specifically, the OEM reports an increase in the scope of activities dedicated to supporting the in-service fleet.

Qatar Airways operates the largest A350 fleet in the region with 58 aircraft in service, Emirates has now taken delivery of its third A350-900 and Etihad flies five A350-1000s. 

Aviation Week Network’s 2025 Commercial Aviation Fleet and MRO Forecast suggests that by the end of this year, the A350 fleet composition in the region will include 65 operated by Qatar Airways, 29 operated by Emirates, eight operated by Etihad Airways, five operated by Yemania and two operated by Kuwait Airways—supposing there are no delays or other circumstances impacting deliveries. 

“Currently, more than 250 people are deployed in the region to support Airbus aircraft operations,” says Laurent Negre, vice president of customer services for Africa and Middle East at Airbus.

In addition to specific type trainings including technical, Airbus claims operators have readily accessible spare parts through its regional warehouse located in Dubai. However, supply issues continue to test the industry, including A350 operators.

In response, Negre says Airbus has a dedicated task force to tackle those issues while monitoring the situation closely. Airbus also encourages airlines to anticipate their needs ahead of time starting with, [not surprisingly], Airbus-recommended initial provisioning for their in-service fleet.

“More specifically for regional operators, we have increased the inventory stock for A350 parts in our regional warehouse operated by our subsidiary Satair,” says Negre. “We are also proposing technical training specific to the A350 type, and obviously with required spare parts as well.”

Airbus reports that 100% of A350 operators in the region are connected and benefiting from its Skywise platform for aircraft health monitoring or predictive maintenance capabilities. For all Airbus fleets including the A350, Airbus is also proposing a dedicated aircraft maintenance package, which guarantees the availability and repair of main components, such as line replaceable units.

Airbus says it is supporting all MROs involved in its aircraft maintenance, notably through engineering capabilities. In particular, the A350 airframe comprises 53% of composite materials which require maintenance specific technical knowledge. Airbus says it has positioned a local Part 145 maintenance team to support MROs on-site with any special structural repairs.

A few years ago, industry doubts arose concerning the durability of the A350’s Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines (powering the A350-1000), particularly regarding their performance in hot and sandy conditions prevalent in the Middle East.

Rolls-Royce is working on a series of technology packages that will improve durability and efficiency across all operations through a £1 billion ($1.2 billion) investment program.

In the meantime, Airbus has flagged three key developments with the engine:  Firstly, Rolls-Royce already delivered increased temperature margins that coupled with enhanced turbine case cooling, enabling engines to perform on wing for longer. The engine manufacturer also is now delivering the new CMAS (calcium magnesium alumino silicate) resistant coatings to enable improvements in tough environments.

Finally, Rolls is developing a series of modifications for the high-pressure turbine and combustor to reduce metal temperatures, including the introduction of a new disc alloy to deliver what it says is the ultimate engine competitiveness from 2028.

“After just seven years in service, it [Trent XWB-97] boasts an impressive 99.9% operational reliability,” says Negre.