China Airlines entrusts Airbus with A350 cabin retrofit

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) Airbus said Wednesday it had signed a Letter of Intent with Taiwan-based China Airlines (CAL) to upgrade the carrier's A350 cabins with a new layout and amenities.

Under this agreement, Airbus Services will oversee the installation of CAL's latest Premium Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class seats on its fleet of 15 A350-900s, the aerospace company said in a press release.

The retrofit is expected to cost CAL about US$400 million, the airline said in a statement on March 8.

However, the timing of the modification will depend on when the contract with Airbus is signed, the airline said.

According to Airbus, the upgrades will cover seating in all classes, in-flight infotainment systems, and the cabin environment.

The first A350 was introduced in October 2016. Five of the planes are over seven years old, seven are over six years old, two are over five years old, and one is over four years old.

As of April 2024, CAL's Airbus fleet included 15 A350-900s, 18 A330-300s and 12 A321neos.