Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10) vs Airbus A350-900/1000
Side-by-side spec comparison with neutral percentage deltas.
Spec table
| Spec | Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10) | Airbus A350-900/1000 |
|---|---|---|
| Max speed (mph) (mph) | 590 | 590 |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 0.85 | 0.89 |
| Combat radius / range (mi) | 7,635 | 9,700 |
| Service ceiling (ft) | 43,000 | 43,100 |
| MTOW (lb) | 560,000 | 617,294 |
| Empty weight (lb) | 254,000 | 308,650 |
| Payload (lb) | 130,000 | 155,000 |
| Endurance (hr) | 13 | 16.5 |
| Length (ft) | 206.4 | 218.9 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 197.3 | 212.3 |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio (MTOW) | 0.14 | 0.16 |
Green = leader on that dimension. Higher is treated as better for all rows shown.
On-paper verdict
- Max speed (Mach): Airbus A350-900/1000 (+5%)
- Combat radius / range: Airbus A350-900/1000 (+27%)
- MTOW: Airbus A350-900/1000 (+10%)
- Empty weight: Airbus A350-900/1000 (+22%)
- Payload: Airbus A350-900/1000 (+19%)
- Endurance: Airbus A350-900/1000 (+27%)
- Length: Airbus A350-900/1000 (+6%)
- Wingspan: Airbus A350-900/1000 (+8%)
- Thrust-to-weight ratio (MTOW): Airbus A350-900/1000 (+16%)
Performance
Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10) tops out at 590 mph and a service ceiling of 43000 ft. Airbus A350-900/1000 is rated at 590 mph with a service ceiling of 43100 ft.
Range & payload
Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10) carries up to 130000 lb over 7635 mi. Airbus A350-900/1000 carries 155000 lb over 9700 mi. Numbers above are the headline manufacturer figures — real-world performance trades payload against range against fuel reserves.
Engines
Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10): 2x General Electric GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 turbofans (76,000 lbf each).
Airbus A350-900/1000: 2x Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84/97 turbofans (97,000 lbf each).
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10) or Airbus A350-900/1000?
590 mph (Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10)) vs 590 mph (Airbus A350-900/1000).
Which has the longer range?
7635 mi (Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10)) vs 9700 mi (Airbus A350-900/1000).
What's the payload difference?
Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10): 130000 lb · Airbus A350-900/1000: 155000 lb.
Are these specs current?
Specs come from each aircraft's manufacturer-published or Wikipedia-aggregated figures, current as of the page's last regeneration. Variants and block upgrades may carry different numbers — check the linked reference pages for the latest.
Which one was built first?
Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10): service entry 2011. Airbus A350-900/1000: service entry 2014.
Sources
Spec values pulled from each aircraft's reference page in the gallery, which aggregates manufacturer-published figures with Wikipedia-cited sources:
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