Delta's biggest-ever aircraft is taking shape. The airline's first Airbus A350-1000 has been photographed in full Delta livery at Airbus' Toulouse plant, giving the public its first proper look at the jet that's set to enter commercial service around June 2027. Aviation spotter Eurospot captured the images, shared via Airways Magazine on November 9.
Delta committed to the A350-1000 in January 2024, making it the first US carrier to order the largest member of Airbus' A350 family. Twenty aircraft are on firm order, with options for more. Paint on the fuselage is a milestone, not a finish line: the jet, tracked as serial number 841, still has engines to fit, ground checks and flight tests to pass before delivery. Delta's media kit points to early 2027 for first deliveries, with June eyed for the passenger debut.
What should make travellers sit up is the cabin. The A350-1000 will introduce Delta's next-generation Delta One suites, built on a reverse-herringbone layout after two years of design work. Window seats face outward, and centre suites get a movable privacy divider for couples or colleagues flying together. Each suite gets a flat bed stretching over 1.98 metres, a pillow-top cushion, wireless charging, extra storage, a 24-inch HD screen, Bluetooth audio, USB-C and universal power, plus access to a self-service refreshment area.
The premium push doesn't stop at business class. Every seat on board gets Delta's largest seatback screens, memory foam cushions and fast free Wi-Fi, across four cabins: Delta One (53 seats), Premium Select (48), and roughly 213 in Comfort+ and Main Cabin combined. That's a 50% premium seat mix by Delta's own description — a clear signal about who this aircraft is aimed at.
Under the skin, Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines give the jet a range of up to around 8,700 nautical miles, with Delta expecting more than 20% better fuel burn per seat than the aircraft it replaces. Reports suggest Atlanta and Detroit to Seoul could be the launch routes, though Delta hasn't confirmed anything officially. The airline frames the A350-1000 as an expansion tool for long, high-demand international flying rather than a straightforward fleet replacement — and alongside ongoing A350-900 and A330neo deliveries, it anchors a broader widebody modernisation.
For anyone flying Delta's long-haul network from mid-2027, this is the aircraft to look for: more premium seats per flight, longer nonstops, and the airline's most advanced passenger experience yet. Route assignments are still under wraps, but transpacific hubs like Seoul look like the logical first stop.
