The Airbus A350 Thread

Airbus performs extremely well in Flight: Pilot

The first test flight of Airbus's next-generation A350 plane was going smoothly and the aircraft was "performing extremely well", its pilot said Friday, two hours after take-off.

"The aircraft is performing extremely well, we hope to reach (an altitude of) 25,000 feet (7,500 metres) very quickly," said Peter Chandler, one of the two test pilots flying the plane in the skies over the French city of Toulouse, in a video link.


Source : Sapa-AFP /pd
Date : 14 Jun 2013 12:56
 
Just got back in time to watch the approach and landing.
 
Airbus A350 Completes First Flight as Wide-Body Battle Heats Up

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Airbus SAS’s new A350 wide-body returned from its maiden flight after a four-hour airborne test of the long-range airliner, in a show of confidence that the jet can enter service in late 2014 and challenge Boeing Co. (BA)

Two test pilots and four engineers returned the A350 to the airfield at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, southwestern France, shortly after 2 p.m., after they had performed the first flight under the gaze of 12,000 spectators that included workers, journalists and senior management.

The plane, which cost about 11 billion euros ($14 billion) to develop, is aimed at competing with Boeing’s two best-selling wide-body models, the new 787 Dreamliner, and the 20-year-old 777, for which Boeing is now promising a successor model, the 777X. The first flight came days ahead of the Paris Air Show, the annual showdown between the two manufacturers.

“It was an impressive sight,” said Airbus sales chief John Leahy after the plane had taken off at 10 a.m.. “I knew it was going to be impressive but I was blown away. Did you hear how quiet it was? People living around airports won’t even know we’re taking off.”

Leadership Battle
At stake is the leadership in twin-aisle planes, the workhorses of intercontinental flying that Boeing pioneered and in which it remains dominant. The A350-900, the first variant of three planes in development, will be followed by a stretched version in 2017 to challenge Boeing’s 777, as well as a smaller variant, the A350-800 competing with a smaller Dreamliner.

The first flight was witnessed by Airbus Chief Executive Officer Fabrice Bregier and A350 program Director Didier Evrard, as well as Tom Enders, the CEO of Airbus parent European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. Weather in southern France was lightly clouded, and the A350, painted in Airbus livery on a white fuselage, was escorted by smaller aircraft, with its undercarriage exposed as it disappeared into the sky.

Airbus employees waving blue and white flags gathered by the runway, with local residents standing in fields among the tall grass along the taxiway to get a view of the plane. The A350 will be the last all-new aircraft that Airbus showcases in at least a decade, as both manufacturers will spend the next years tweaking their existing line-up for fuel efficiency.

The aircraft that took off today is one of five test airliners that Airbus will manufacture ahead of serial production next year. Even before today, the A350 had logged 2,800 test hours in a simulator, and about 3,000 hours in the so-called iron bird, a mock-up of the main systems.

“No matter what simulation you do, you need to make it real,” said Evrard, the program director.
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Will be interesting to see if the plane is meeting with expections regarding fuel economy.
 
Airbus Wins Orders For 31 A350 Jets From Japan Airlines In A Blow To Boeing Monopoly

Airbus won its first order from Japan Airlines Co Ltd, or JAL (TYO: 9201), for 31 A350 jets worth $9.5 billion at list prices, dealing a blow to The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), which had enjoyed a near monopoly in selling wide-body planes in the Japanese market for decades.


Japanese carriers ANA Holdings Inc (TYO: 9202) and JAL operate the world’s first- and second-biggest fleet of Boeing 787s, and the order, which will help Europe’s Airbus break into Japan’s commercial airliner market comes at a time when its American rival is beset with technical problems in its latest Dreamliner 787 plane.

“This is the blue-chip order Airbus was hoping for,” Will Horton, an analyst at CAPA Centre for Aviation in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg.

Boeing estimates that the market for mid-sized long-haul passenger airplanes will be worth $1 trillion over the next 20 years, and Airbus and Boeing are vying to grab a larger slice of that market, according to a Reuters report. Airbus positions the A350 to exploit the market between Boeing’s 777 and the 787 Dreamliner, and promotes it by comparing the A350’s fuel efficiency to the larger version of Boeing’s Dreamliner.

ANA and JAL were the first to report burnt batteries on two of their Dreamliner planes in January, which prompted the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, to ground the aircraft before it resumed flights in the second quarter of 2013.

However, Yoshiharu Ueki, the president of JAL, noted that the Dreamliner's troubles were not the reason behind the airline's decision to switch vendors.

"We are sorry for the troubles we have caused our customers with the 787, but the decision on the aircraft was considered separately from that issue," Ueki said at a press conference in Tokyo, Kyodo News reported, adding that the A350 was chosen because it was the "best match for our needs."

Airbus has recorded more than 750 orders so far for its A350 XWB family aircraft from 38 customers worldwide including the latest order from JAL and an order placed in September by Germany’s Deutsche Lufthansa (ETR: LHA) for 25 A350-900s along with options for 30 more, Airbus said in the statement.

The company expects to boost production of A350 planes before the earliest round of deliveries begin in late 2014, which would involve high upfront costs but would also bring in more revenues.

“The order certainly opens the door for follow-up orders at Japan Airlines. If ANA orders Boeing, it will have to stress why the Boeing deal was better -- the market will now be sensitive to who you order from,” Horton told Bloomberg.
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http://www.ibtimes.com/airbus-wins-orders-31-a350-jets-japan-airlines-blow-boeing-monopoly-1415672
 
Airbus Mulls an Extra Stretch for A350 Jetliner

TOULOUSE, France--Airbus is looking at developing an even larger version of its new A350 airliner than the stretched version that it aims to have in service in 2017, officials at the European aircraft manufacturer said Monday.
Airbus, a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. (EAD.FR), would be responding to strong demand from airlines for fuel-efficient, twin-engine, wide-body planes as they try to maximize their revenue yield by carrying more passengers on single flights, hence growing orders for Boeing Co.'s new 787 jetliner and the Airbus A350.

Developing a longer model than the 350-seat A350-1000 that Airbus is planning to bring into service in 2017 is possible, Didier Evrard, head of the A350 program, told journalists.
"It's in a pre-concept phase," Mr. Evrard said. "We can certainly do it; it's a question of market, of priorities, and we will continue to listen to our customers about what's best for them."
Upgrading the A350 with a higher-capacity model could put further pressure on U.S. rival Boeing, which is expected to announce a decision to go ahead with an extended version of its 777-700ER in the coming weeks. The Boeing will be a response to Airbus's decision in 2011 to develop an upgraded version of the A350-1000, said Sophie Pendaries, head of product marketing at Airbus.
The Airbus officials stressed, however, that the ability of suppliers to keep up with its plans is critical for the success of the A350 program.

Airbus "isn't in a hurry" to develop more versions of the plane as it has 756 A350s in its order backlog for a plane that is undergoing flight testing before Airbus starts deliveries to customers next year, Mr. Evrard said.
Mr. Evrard said the development of the A350-900, the first version of the current three-member A350 family, is on track, but he acknowledged that there are "a lot of challenges." This plane made its first flight in June.
Mr. Evrard said the schedule is for the plane to obtain type certification in late August or early September next year. Launch customer Qatar Airways could receive its first aircraft four or five weeks after that.
Evrard said Airbus has encountered relatively minor issues during flight testing over the past four months, including some software glitches that were quickly ironed out.
Airbus plans to ramp up the A350 production rate from a monthly rate of three aircraft to 10 by 2018, Mr. Evrard said.
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http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20131021-707570.html
 
Airbus says Emirates cancels order for 70 A350 planes

(Reuters) - Dubai's Emirates Airline [EMIRA.UL] has cancelled an order for 70 Airbus Group NV (AIR.PA) A350 wide-body aircraft following "on-going discussions with the airline in light of their fleet requirement review", the European planemaker said on Wednesday.

Emirates placed the order for 50 A350-900 and 20 A350-1000 jets in 2007, with first deliveries scheduled from 2019, Airbus said in a statement.

Airbus said it was "very confident" in the A350 programme, which rivals Boeing's (BA.N) 787 Dreamliner, and that it expected the A350 order book to grow in 2014.

The cancellations will be logged in Airbus' orders and deliveries for the month of June, the company said.
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:wtf:
 
Emirates to reconsider A350 cancellation

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Emirates has announced it will look again at buying a fleet of Airbus A350s after recently cancelling a $16 billion order for 70 of the new aircraft.
The Gulf carrier cancelled its order for the aircraft earlier this month in a move seen as a serious blow to Airbus.
Emirates is among the world’s biggest airlines and its announcement will trigger a major battle between Airbus and Boeing as the airline said it would look at both the A350 and Boeing 787.
The carrier was to have been the launch customer of the A350, which is due to launch later this year, following a deal announced in 2007.
Emirates gave no reason for the cancellation, but it’s understood concerns about the aircraft’s performance lay behind it.
However, Emirates chief executive Tim Clark said yesterday: “We will re-engage with Airbus on this aeroplane at the end of this year, the beginning of next year.”
Clark said Emirates would “also engage” with Boeing about the 787 as an alternative.
The A350 is a wide-body, long-haul jet with a carbon composite fuselage and other fuel-saving features similar to the 787.
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http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Artic...emirates+to+reconsider+a350+cancellation.html

To my knowledge however, Emirates was not to be the launch customer for the A350. That honor has been given to Qatar. They even have a special test vehicle painted in a Airbus and Qatar meshup. See below.

Qatar-Airways-1.jpg
 
Ockie said:
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Artic...emirates+to+reconsider+a350+cancellation.html

To my knowledge however, Emirates was not to be the launch customer for the A350. That honor has been given to Qatar. They even have a special test vehicle painted in a Airbus and Qatar meshup. See below.

View attachment 127631
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Yeah I understood that too be the case as well (Qatar not Emirates). Shoddy journalism there. Still looks like a price war to the bottom between Airbus and Boeing. Neither can sit that one out though perhaps Airbus needs it more...
 
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(Reuters) - Airbus began what it described as the final stage of safety trials for its A350 jetliner on Thursday as Europe's newest aircraft took off for a series of "route-proving" tests.

The tour of 14 world airports, including a trip over the North Pole, is designed to demonstrate the readiness of the new wide-bodied jet for passenger operations.

Safety certification by Europe's aviation safety regulator is on track for the third quarter, Airbus said in a statement, with the first delivery to launch customer Qatar Airways still expected before the end of the year.
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Almost launch time!!!:D
 
I hear its scheduled to land at FAOR at 17:45 on Saturday then proceed to do a whole lot of touch and go's on Sunday from 11:00 - 12:30
 
Segg said:
I hear its scheduled to land at FAOR at 17:45 on Saturday then proceed to do a whole lot of touch and go's on Sunday from 11:00 - 12:30
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Reading this at the end of a generally crap day, this have cheered me up just a little. Cant wait for this beauty to enter into service. I hope there are guys that will take vids and pics for us
 
Airbus seen set to win A350 certification on Tuesday

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PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) looks set to win European safety certification for its newest airliner, the A350, on Tuesday, people familiar with the plans said.

The stamp of approval will allow Europe's newest wide-body jetliner to enter service once the first production model has been tested and delivered to launch customer Qatar Airways, which the companies expect to happen in the fourth quarter.

The roughly 300-350 seat A350 was developed at an estimated cost of $15 billion to compete with the Boeing (BA.N) 787 Dreamliner.

Both use a carbon-composite design to save weight and cut fuel costs.

The A350 is also expected to compete with Boeing's larger 777 when a new version comes out later in the decade.

After more than year of flight trials, the European Aviation Safety Agency and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration are expected to give their approvals simultaneously, but without the glitzy celebrations which marked the certification of the A380 superjumbo in 2006.

Airbus officials said last week the certification could take place in coming days. The company declined further comment. EASA was not immediately available for comment.

Airbus had set a September target for the first flight of its upgraded A320neo, which took place on Thursday, and for the certification of the A350.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/29/us-airbus-group-a-idUSKCN0HO0R420140929
 
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