Aircraft
A350 to set an Airbus record, as program marches forward
Final preparations for the new Airbus A350’s flight-test program began in earnest earlier this month with the first running of its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, of which 12 development examples had previously logged more than 250 hours flying and a further 4,200 hours/7,400 cycles in ground running.
Final preparations for the new Airbus A350’s flight-test program began in earnest earlier this month with the first running of its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, of which 12 development examples had previously logged more than 250 hours flying and a further 4,200 hours/7,400 cycles in ground running.

As launch customer Qatar Airways prepares to receive new Airbus A350s next year, the Arab operator will train using an operations department at the manufacturer’s Toulouse factory in southwest France. Until then, Airbus plans to conduct flight-test activities to mirror airlines operations at that facility.