Schiphol Watersaluut Greets First Airbus A350
KLM took delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 registered as PH-ZNA at Schiphol Airport. The arrival touched down on Friday afternoon, greeted by a traditional airport watersaluut and tracked by over 8,500 aviation enthusiasts on FlightRadar24.
The aircraft’s arrival marks the official start of a major fleet overhaul for Air France-KLM (EPA: AF), which aims to phase out older widebody types in favor of more efficient twin-jets. As reported by luchtvaartnieuws.nl, the new A350 is slated to burn 25 percent less fuel and operate 40 percent quieter than the legacy aircraft it replaces.
A Standoff in Toulouse Over Damaged Flight Controls
Yet the journey from the Airbus delivery center in Toulouse to Amsterdam involved distinct operational hurdles.
The delivery schedule hit a snag just prior to handover when an inspection revealed damage to one of the aircraft’s wing flaps. While the manufacturer proposed repairing the compromised component, the airline’s acceptance team rejected the fix outright.
Chris Artmanni, a technical representative and member of the acceptance team, detailed the standoff to upinthesky.nl: “Those had been repaired, but we did not agree to that. We do not want repaired flight controls,” Artmanni stated, pointing to the sensitivity of the mechanism.
Firm Pressure Yields Complete Component Replacement
The disagreement required firm pressure from the carrier’s personnel. “So we really had to put our foot down to get a new flap,” Artmanni told nhnieuws.nl, describing the necessity of standing firm during the final handover negotiations.
Airbus ultimately yielded to the demand, replacing the flap entirely before the technical sign-off was completed in France.
Exchange and Ceremony in Toulouse
During the handover proceedings in France, KLM chief executive Marjan Rintel presented an exclusive Delft blue miniature house depicting the Rijksmuseum to Philippe Mhun, Executive Vice President Programmes & Services at Airbus. Pilot Jonas de Rese subsequently took the controls to fly the new aircraft from Toulouse to Amsterdam, noting that reaching the milestone felt emotional after a year of intensive work on the project alongside numerous colleagues.
| Aircraft Metric | PH-ZNA Specification |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Airbus SE |
| Model | A350-900 |
| Delivery Flight | KL350 (Toulouse to Schiphol) |
| Fuel Efficiency Gain | 25% reduction vs older models |
| Noise Reduction | 40% quieter than legacy fleet |
Uncertified Business Class Seats and Upcoming Routes
Beyond the technical dispute over the wing flap, the aircraft arrives with a near-term commercial constraint. luchtvaartnieuws.nl noted that the newly installed business class seats lack final regulatory certification, meaning passengers will be unable to utilize those specific seats until the paperwork clears—projected for March 2027.
Despite the financial shortfall from uncertified premium inventory, the airline is pushing forward with route deployment. The A350’s commercial debut is scheduled for late October, connecting Amsterdam to Toronto, followed by long-haul services to East African destinations including Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Montréal, Nairobi, and Zanzibar. Additionally, flight KL9885 is scheduled to depart around 10:20 AM heading toward Norway.
