Immenstaad, 30 November 2021 – Air Caraïbes operates the A350-1000 with the highest seating capacity on the market: the cabin holds 429 passengers. The Premium Economy comes from ZIM Aircraft Seating GmbH. With the delivery of the PC-01 for the third and final aircraft, ZIM has completed the delivery program.
The cabin
The Air Caraïbes A350-1000 is laid out in three classes: 24 seats in “Madras” Business Class, 45 seats in “Caraïbes” Premium Economy and 360 seats in “Soleil” Economy. This capacity is made possible above all by Economy, which is fitted with ten seats per row instead of the nine usually found in an A350 cabin. No other operator of this aircraft type has chosen a comparable seating density.
The PC-01 in Premium Economy
Premium Economy is fitted with the PC-01, ZIM’s first Premium Economy product line, in service with international airlines since 2014 and the predecessor of the ZP610, which enters scheduled service with SWISS from the first quarter of 2022. In a cabin of this density its task is particularly clearly defined: the seat has to create a tangible step up in comfort from Economy without taking a disproportionate share of the cabin. Added to this are the demands of design and certification. Seat structure, escape routes and emergency exits are subject to the same safety requirements as in any other cabin, while every millimeter of installation space determines the capacity that can be achieved.
First French operator of the largest A350 version
Air Caraïbes is part of Groupe Dubreuil and is based in Guadeloupe in the French West Indies. It is the first French airline to operate the longest version of the Airbus A350 XWB, on long-haul services between Paris-Orly and the French West Indies.
Three aircraft, one program
Air Caraïbes ordered three A350-1000s. With the final aircraft, its entire fleet of this type flies with the PC-01 in Premium Economy. ZIM completed the program at a time when commercial aviation worldwide is still working through the consequences of the pandemic.
