Edelweiss Air confirms A350s as new longhaul-aircraft
On 18 September 2023, Edelweiss Air announced it has selected the Airbus A350-900 as its new longhaul-aircraft. The selection isn't a big surprise as in February 2023, the airline's CEO already said the airline was eying the aircraft as a successor for its A340-300s.
In total, Edelweiss Air will take delivery of six A350-900s, which are scheduled to be delivered between March 2025 and December 2026. According to the airline's press-release, the aircraft will be former LATAM Airlines aircraft. However, according to our data, of the thirteen A350-900s once delivered to LATAM, only four are still available and currently stored and waiting on a new user. These are:
- N264AR (363), former PR-XTM and stored at Victorville (CA) since June 2021. Owned by Wilmington Trust
- N285BN (035), former PR-XTC and stored at Victorville (CA) since August 2021. Owned by Bank of Utah.
- N286BN (045), former PR-XTD and stored at Victorville (CA) since October 2021. Owned by Bank of Utah.
- N287BN (079), former PR-XTG and stored at Victorville (CA) since July 2021. Owned by Bank of Utah.
This means the origin of the other two A350s is unclear but will most likely mean these will be new aircraft coming from existing orders the Lufthansa Group holds for the type.
Adding six new widebodies also means a bit of expansion for Edelweiss, as the airline is currently flying with five A340-300s.
Illustration by Edelweiss Air.