Air India will be among the customers for a new first-class suite Airbus is developing for installation on A350s from 2030. At the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg on 14 April, Airbus vice-president of cabin marketing Ingo Wuggetzer named Air India as one of five airlines involved in the development, but did not disclose the others. First-class suites with floor-to-ceiling walls have entered service on A350s operated by Lufthansa and sibling carrier Swiss. Wuggetzer sees this as part of a wider trend for more personal space and privacy – and as a starting point to push the design limits further. "We had talks with a lot of customers who want the extra, the ultimate [level of comfort]," Wuggetzer says, adding: "We stopped the studies [and] are now in the development phase of the next generation of first-class seats." At last year's AIX event, Airbus revealed the design of an enclosed first-class suite in the centre of the cabin, featuring large immersive screens, sofas that can be configured as a dining area or bedroom for two passengers, a separate dressing room, and a private lavatory. Wuggetzer now says that a new modular monument in the forward cabin centre is key to the development and facilitates relocation of lavatories from current lateral positions. He suggests that the new central monument and rearrangement of the forward cabin may open up space further aft for additional business seats. Airbus is additionally redesigning the cabin entrance area immediately forward of the central monument with higher ceilings and new lighting, to "make it a really unique, private space". Wuggetzer acknowledges the challenges in creating a "very customised, highly complex, high-end quality" seat amid comparatively low production volumes. One objective of the 2030 service-entry target is to develop a reliable supply chain and avoid potential future delivery problems, he says. "We start the project now, so we are four years ahead to get all the suppliers that we want [and] they are ready in terms of volume, because today we see clearly bottlenecks, especially in seating." He adds that there is a shortage of seat manufacturers available and that Airbus wants to grow its supplier base. "We are starting to develop new suppliers. Especially in first class, you only have maybe two at the moment. We try to get four or five that are capable of delivering a high-quality, complex first-class seat."

Delta Air Lines has selected Airbus's HBCplus satellite connectivity system for 20 on-order A350-1000s. The deal makes Delta the first North American customer for Airbus's satcom product. It was in January 2024 that Delta ordered the 20 A350-1000s, taking options on an additional 20. Cirium fleets data shows the widebodies are set to be delivered to the US major in 2027-28. Airbus says it will work with Delta and Hughes to equip the A350-1000s with HBCplus. Joseph Eddy, director of cabin programmes at Atlanta-based Delta, states: "Leveraging Airbus's industry-leading systems integration and engineering capabilities, to integrate our Hughes multi-orbit IFC solution, is a natural partnership." The European airframer's head of connected aircraft programme Tim Sommer, meanwhile, describes the project as "the epitome of our long-time relationship with Delta Air Lines, and a great example of industrial collaboration".

A special-purpose vehicle linked to Azorra has initiated legal action against Kenya Airways in the UK courts. Azorra Eagle 1 DAC, formerly NAC Aviation 33, is named as one of two claimants in a commercial-court claim lodged on 20 March, court records show. The other claimant is Wilmington Trust. Both are represented by Alius Law, while Clyde & Co is representing Kenya Airways. Azorra has declined to comment. Data shows that the US lessor leases six Embraer E190s to Kenya Airways. All six were formerly part of the Nordic Aviation Capital portfolio acquired by Azorra.