Airbus A350 takes to the skies
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Airbus’ new wide-body aircraft, the A350, took to the skies for the first time on Friday.
The maiden test flight took off from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France at 10am local time on 14 June 2013, and lasted just over four hours.
Carrying the blue Airbus logo, the test aircraft was manned by a crew of six – two pilots and four flight engineers – and accompanied by a second plane to observe and film proceedings.
The first flight marks the beginning of a series of airborne tests, which will eventually involve five A350s and around 2,500 flight hours. It will culminate in the aircraft’s certification and its entry into commercial service in the second half of 2014, with launch customer, Qatar Airways.
“I… wish to thank the first flight crew today for taking this aircraft where it wants to be – in the sky,” said Airbus’ president & CEO, Fabrice Bregier. “I would also like to extend my gratitude to all our teams in the design offices, at programme and manufacturing level, the ground crews as well as our colleagues in airlines and suppliers and many others who helped define this all-new aircraft.
“The A350 XWB which has flown today, integrating the latest available technologies, is now entering the final stage of its development. And it is ready – ready to head towards certification and entry-into-service in the second half of next year.”
Designed as Airbus’ response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the A350 is a long-range aircraft seating between 270 and 350 passengers. It is the first Airbus aircraft to feature carbon fibre composites in its fuselage and wings – a feature that will help make it lighter and more fuel-efficient. In fact, Airbus claims the A350 offer less fuel burn and lower operating costs than the Dreamliner.
So far, Airbus has already taken 613 firm orders for the aircraft’s three versions – 414 for the standard A350-900, which was tested on Friday, plus 110 for the longer A350-1000 and 89 of the smaller A350-800.
Launch customer Qatar Airways will be the aircraft’s largest customer, with orders for 80 A350s, ahead of Singapore Airlines (70), Emirates (70), Cathay Pacific (46), Asiana Airlines (30).
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