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| Image courtesy of Airbus |
The Airbus A350-1000 has conducted thee flights into Irish Airspace over the last few months as part of it’s test and certification programme. The type is on track to reach Type Certification followed by Entry Into Service in second half of 2017.
The A350-1000 completed successfully its first and unique “Early Long Flight” with 310 passengers on board, including 10 Airbus Flight Test crew members and 13 Virgin Atlantic cabin crew.
Test aircraft F-WXLV Airbus A350-1041 c/n 065 took off from and landed in Toulouse on May 11th after a 12 hours flight. The Early Long Flight allows Airbus to assess cabin environment and systems in-flight and optimize cabin procedures to ensure full maturity at Entry Into Service for its customers.
According to open source Flight tracking website Flightradar24 playback shows the aircraft overflew the vicinity of Cork, Dublin and Shannon.
On 3 May Airbus’ A350-1000 test aircraft F-WWXL MSN071 has completed fuel system and engine tests in Cardiff, Wales between 3 and 4 May as part of its type certification flight test campaign.
The objective of the test was to simulate operational conditions in hot countries and check how global fuel management system and engines behave with hot fuel (over 43°C).
According to data from open source flight tracking website the aircraft operated in a long circuit pattern over the Southern Irish Sea.
On 26 February F-WWXL Airbus A350-1041 callsign ‘Airbus AIB353’ transited Irish Airspace after undergoning rigorous ground and flight tests in the extreme operating conditions of Iqaluit, Canada.
The aircraft successfully completed five days of intensive testing at an outside air temperature (OAT) that fluctuated between -28 degrees and -37 degrees Celsius.
International Airlines Group (IAG) parent company of Aer Lingus has ordered 18 Airbus A350-1000 plus 18 option which will be used to partially to replace British Airways fleet of 30 Boeing 747-400 aircraft between 2017 and 2023.
IAG negotiated commercial terms and production slots for an additional batch of aircraft that would be allocated to its Iberia division. In 2018 Iberia will receive the first of 16 Airbus A350-900 aircraft ordered.
Willie Walsh, IAG’s chief executive, said “The A350-1000 will bring many benefits to our fleet. Its size and range will be an excellent fit for our existing network and, with lower unit costs, there is an opportunity to operate a new range of destinations profitably.”
Irish Aviation Research Institute © 20 May 2017 All Rights Reserved.
