[Photos] Introducing Vietnam Airlines’ First A350-XWB Aircraft

Fresh off the assembly line, Vietnam Airlines’ first Airbus A350-XWB made its debut on a runway in Toulouse, France last week.

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The latest version of the long-range, twin-engine wide-body jet airliners developed by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the state airlines’ A350-XWB is covered in bright blue paint with a golden yellow strip along its body and the iconic lotus flower logo on its tail, according to Zing.

The new equipment and livery are part of Vietnam Airlines’ new brand recognition plan that aims to position the airline as one of Asia’s top air carriers by 2020. 

The national airline, which has ordered 14 of he planes, will be the second in the world to deploy the A350-XWB after Qatar Airways.

Beyond improvements to the interior and paint scheme, A350-XWBs sport excellent fuel efficiency and are designed for long distance flights. Vietnam Airlines plans to put the aircrafts into service on its Hanoi-Paris route as soon as they are delivered.

Vietnam Airlines also has plans to buy 28 of Boeing's newest planes, the 787-9 Dreamliner that can carry up to 280 passengers and has a range of 15,400km, allowing the airline to theoretically offer direct flights to pretty much anywhere in the world other than South America.