Largest A350 takes to the skies
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
The largest version of the Airbus A350 aircraft took off for its maiden flight on Thursday.
The aircraft took to the skies above southern France for a test flight that lasted more than four hours. This is a major milestone in the development of the long-haul jet, which will culminate with its scheduled entry into service in the second half of 2017.
“We have seen today the world’s most modern and efficient passenger aircraft – the A350-1000 – in action for the very first time,” said Airbus’ president & CEO, Fabrice Brégier. “My congratulations and thanks go to all the teams who have contributed to make today’s flight happen.”
The A350-1000 will become the second version of the twin-aisle A350 series, after the A350-900 which entered service in January 2015. The A350-1000 has a longer fuselage than the -900, allowing it to accommodate 40 more passengers. The aircraft will able to carry approximately 370 passengers in a typical layout, making it Airbus’ second largest commercial aircraft after the A380.
To date 11 customers have placed orders for a total of 195 A350-1000s, including Qatar Airways (37 aircraft), United Airlines (35), Cathay Pacific (26), Etihad Airways (22) and British Airways (18).
Comments are closed.