G-XWBA
G-XWBA is an Airbus A350-1041 operated by British Airways. Built as manufacturer serial number 326, it was the airline's first Airbus A350 and the first A350-1000 delivered to a member of International Airlines Group. The aircraft introduced British Airways' Club Suite business-class seat and its initial 331-seat A350 cabin. It entered commercial service between London Heathrow and Madrid on 5 August 2019 before beginning long-haul operations to Dubai in September.[1][2][3]
Identity and production
G-XWBA is an Airbus A350-1000, specifically an A350-1041. Its airframe identity is manufacturer serial number 326; this is distinct from its British civil registration. Airbus assembled the aircraft at Toulouse, and it flew during production testing as F-WZFH before receiving G-XWBA for British Airways service.[4][5]
The aircraft made its first flight on 2 July 2019. British Airways reported shortly afterwards that its first A350-1000 had completed its maiden flight, while production records associate that flight with test registration F-WZFH. The registration sequence therefore should not be read as two different airframes.[6][5]
| Identifier | Value | Meaning |
| Manufacturer serial number | 326 | Airbus production identity |
| Test registration | F-WZFH | Identity used during production flight testing |
| UK registration | G-XWBA | British Airways service identity |
| Variant | A350-1041 | A350-1000 customer and engine designation |
| Mode S code | 4076E8 | Electronic aircraft address associated with G-XWBA |
The XWB letters in the registration echo Airbus' “A350 XWB” programme name, while the final A begins British Airways' sequential A350 registration series. This registration convention does not replace the aircraft's formal type or serial number.[2][4]
Delivery chronology
Production and airline sources use several dates around the handover. The physical delivery ferry took place on 27 July 2019, routing from Toulouse via Châteauroux to London Heathrow. British Airways and Airbus issued their public delivery material on 29 July and described the aircraft as having arrived at Heathrow during the preceding weekend.[4][1][2]
These dates represent different points in one delivery process rather than conflicting first flights:
the aircraft's production first flight occurred on 2 July;
its delivery ferry reached Heathrow on 27 July;
British Airways and Airbus publicly recorded and welcomed the delivery on 29 July;
commercial service began on 5 August.
At handover, British Airways had 18 A350-1000s on order and expected four by the end of 2019. Airbus described G-XWBA as the first A350-1000 for International Airlines Group, not the first A350-1000 delivered worldwide.[1][2]
Cabin and Club Suite
G-XWBA introduced British Airways' Club Suite, the carrier's first wholly new business-class seat in 13 years. The suite uses a 1–2–1 layout, giving every passenger direct aisle access, and includes a closing door, a fully flat bed, additional storage, a vanity unit, an 18.5-inch entertainment screen and power connections.[7][1]
The aircraft entered service with 331 seats across three cabins. It did not have a First Class cabin.[7]
| Cabin | British Airways product | Seats |
| Business class | Club Suite | 56 |
| Premium economy | World Traveller Plus | 56 |
| Economy class | World Traveller | 219 |
| Total | 331 |
The 331-seat figure describes the initial British Airways configuration installed on G-XWBA and should not be transferred automatically to other A350 operators or later cabin plans. British Airways also highlighted the A350's lower cabin altitude, higher humidity and in-flight connectivity as passenger features, but those type-wide characteristics do not make G-XWBA a separate technical variant.[7]
Entry into service
G-XWBA operated British Airways' first commercial A350 flight on 5 August 2019. Flight BA460 departed London Heathrow Airport for Madrid as part of a short-haul familiarisation programme. The Madrid flights allowed pilots, cabin crew, engineers and ground staff to gain operational experience before the aircraft moved onto long-haul services.[3][8]
FlightGlobal recorded the inaugural service as pushing back at 13:18. The airline planned two daily Madrid rotations, and British Airways later reported that the familiarisation programme covered more than 15,400 miles and over 40 take-offs and landings.[3][9]
The commercial debut should be distinguished from the delivery flight. Neither passengers carried on 5 August nor the Madrid route made that service the aircraft's maiden flight; the Airbus production flight had taken place more than a month earlier.[3][5]
Long-haul introduction
British Airways scheduled Dubai as G-XWBA's first long-haul destination from 2 September 2019. This followed the Madrid work-up and introduced the Club Suite on a long-haul route. Toronto followed on 1 October, becoming the first North American destination served by a British Airways A350.[8][9]
The initial long-haul plan also named Tel Aviv and Bangalore. These were introduction routes for the new fleet rather than a permanent allocation of G-XWBA to a fixed set of destinations. Individual aircraft rotate through the wider British Airways network as operational requirements change.[2]
Engines and technical configuration
Like other A350-1041 aircraft, G-XWBA is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofans. The UK Civil Aviation Authority type-certificate data identifies the Trent XWB-97 as the approved engine for the A350-1041. The -1041 suffix therefore identifies the certificated variant and installation, while “A350-1000” is the commercial family designation.[10]
The aircraft has a twin-engine, long-range, wide-body configuration with a carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic-intensive airframe. Those design features are properties of the A350-1000 type; the airframe-specific facts that distinguish G-XWBA are its serial number, registrations, cabin, operator and service history.[1][10]
Dubai ground collision
On 14 April 2020, G-XWBA was involved in a ground collision at Dubai International Airport with the parked Emirates Boeing 777-300ER A6-EBR. G-XWBA was connected to a pushback tug ahead of cargo-only flight BA106 to London Heathrow. The contact damaged the horizontal tail surfaces of both aircraft, and British Airways cancelled the flight.[11][12]
No passengers were aboard the cargo-only British Airways service. British Airways stated that the aircraft would be assessed before being cleared to fly, while Emirates confirmed that no one was injured. Contemporary reports did not establish a final causal finding, so the event should not be described as pilot error or attributed to an unverified ground-handling cause.[12][11]
Airframe records show G-XWBA returning to service later in April 2020. That operational record supports a short repair interval but does not substitute for an official accident investigation report, which has not been identified for this event.[4]
Later operation and current status
G-XWBA has remained with British Airways since delivery. Current airframe records list it as active, while recent flight-tracking data shows the registration operating British Airways services through 28 August 2026. The observed flights include long-haul rotations from Heathrow; they evidence recent use but should not be treated as a permanent route assignment.[4][13]
The aircraft's current status is therefore recorded as active with British Airways as of August 2026. This is a time-sensitive field: future maintenance, storage, lease, ownership or fleet changes require a newer source rather than inference from its 2019 delivery.[13][14]
Historical significance
G-XWBA is significant within the British Airways fleet for three connected reasons. It was the carrier's first A350, the first A350-1000 delivered within IAG and the launch aircraft for Club Suite. Its first commercial service also began the airline's transition from short-haul crew familiarisation to A350 long-haul deployment.[1][7][3]
The aircraft was not the first A350, the first A350-1000 or the first airframe in the wider A350 programme. Those programme milestones belong to earlier Airbus test and customer aircraft. Its importance is specific to British Airways, IAG and the carrier's cabin-product introduction.[1]
Timeline
| Date | Event |
| 2 July 2019 | First flight under Airbus test registration F-WZFH |
| 27 July 2019 | Delivery ferry from Toulouse via Châteauroux to London Heathrow |
| 29 July 2019 | British Airways and Airbus publicly announced and welcomed the first delivery |
| 5 August 2019 | Entered commercial service as BA460 from Heathrow to Madrid |
| August 2019 | Operated Madrid familiarisation flights before long-haul service |
| 2 September 2019 | Scheduled first long-haul service, Heathrow–Dubai |
| 1 October 2019 | Began the type's first British Airways service to North America, serving Toronto |
| 14 April 2020 | Damaged in a ground collision with A6-EBR at Dubai; BA106 cancelled |
| April 2020 | Returned to service after assessment and repair |
| 28 August 2026 | Most recent operation observed in the sources consulted for this revision |
Data-quality notes
MSN 326 is the manufacturer serial number; it is not a registration or fleet number.
F-WZFH was the production-test registration and G-XWBA is the British service registration.
The 2 July first flight, 27 July delivery ferry, 29 July public handover record and 5 August commercial entry are separate milestones.
“First A350” in British Airways material means the airline's first example; it does not mean the first aircraft in the Airbus programme.
The 331-seat layout is the airframe's British Airways configuration at entry into service, not a universal A350-1000 specification.
The April 2020 Dubai event is reported as a ground collision; no unsupported causal conclusion is added.
Active status is verified against sources current to August 2026 and should be rechecked when the article is revised.
Related pages
Sources
British Airways takes delivery of its first A350-1000 — Airbus, 29 July 2019
British Airways' first A350 touches down at Heathrow — British Airways, 29 July 2019
British Airways welcomes its new A350 and unveils Club Suite — British Airways, 18 March 2019
BA inaugurates commercial A350-1000 service — FlightGlobal, 5 August 2019
British Airways A350 gears up for first long-haul flight to Dubai — British Airways, 14 August 2019
Touch down in Toronto: British Airways' new A350 arrives — British Airways, 1 October 2019
G-XWBA airframe record — Planespotters.net, accessed 29 August 2026
G-XWBA aircraft record — Planespotting.be, accessed 29 August 2026
G-XWBA recent flight history — Flightradar24, accessed 29 August 2026
Airbus A350 type-certificate data sheet — UK Civil Aviation Authority
G-INFO aircraft register search — UK Civil Aviation Authority, accessed 29 August 2026
BA's first A350 damaged in ground shunt with Emirates 777 — FlightGlobal, 14 April 2020
British Airways A350 collides with Emirates 777 at Dubai — UK Aviation News, 14 April 2020
Image source and rights: British Airways A350-1041 G-XWBA — Charles, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
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