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A350 World Tour continues; MSN5 will be flying between Hong Kong and Singapore until 31/July.

July 29, 2014, 1:13 pm
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The Airbus A350 XWB landed for the very first time at Hong International Airport (HKAI) last 28/July.


Photo by @Ed_Chai


The aircraft, MSN005 has to fly a representative airline schedule, demonstrating its maturity for airline operations. This route proving exercise is the last of the trials required for Type Certification, which is expected in September this year. The aircraft will be operated by Airbus flight crews with Cathay and Singapore crews witnessing some flights.


Photo by @nl273


For its visit to Asia, the MSN5 arrived directly in Hong-Kong from Toulouse and will carry out crucial hot and humid tests similar to normal airline operations in the region. The aircraft will perform a series of high frequency flights between Hong-Kong and Singapore over 3 days before departing back to Toulouse on 31/July.


Photo by @Ed_Chai


Airbus A350 will then depart to Johannesburg, South Africa, on 2/August. The A350’s World Tour will end on 13/August after visiting 14 airports around the world. 

 

Based on the press release “AIRBUS A350 XWB arrives in Hong Kong for the first time ever”

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"History has shown the manufacturer with the biggest twin-engine jetliner wins"

July 30, 2014, 12:17 pm
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This is the conclusion by Richard Aboulafia -vice president at aerospace consultancy Teal Group- when talking about the bigger and bigger aircraft that are currently under development by both Boeing and Airbus.


Photo by @LH526 at airliners.net

In the historically boom-and-bust global airline industry, it is mostly boom times again. After a withering global economic crisis, tourists and businesspeople are again traveling. Rising airline profits are fueling demand not just for more jets, but for larger models that only Airbus and Boeing can build—and which are more profitable for the plane makers.


Photo by @LH526 at airliners.net



"The average size of aircraft has been moving up. Every year it gets slightly larger," said John Leahy, chief salesman for Airbus's commercial-plane unit. In profitable times like these, carriers are drawn to larger jets to carry more passengers without having to add flights.
Though bigger planes cost more to buy, airlines can spread costs across more passengers by adding seats, often without requiring much extra staff.




Photo by Sascha K @knig_s

Both manufacturers have begun to adapt their production plans and even their jets to reflect the shifting market.
Over the next 20 years, Boeing estimates the average twin-aisle, or widebody, jetliner will grow by about 20 seats.
In Airbus A350 XWB family, interest has fizzled in the smaller A350-800.


http://nurhakhan.com/2014/07/25/a350/

The bigger jets bring design challenges. Airbus is adding extra landing-gear wheels and upgraded the engine design for the bigger A350 model, which is expected to be delivered in 2017. Boeing, meanwhile, will fit folding wingtips to its planned bigger 777X to allow the jet to use the same gates as smaller planes.





https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasbecker/14556720298/

Is the extra effort worth it?  Up to a point. While bigger is generally better, airlines tend to favor twin-engine jets over more costly and even bigger four-engine models.
Airlines worry they can't profitability fill planes that seat more than 450 passengers. If travel demand weakens, airlines tend to hedge with smaller jets to maintain frequencies at lower capacity.


Photo by Olli B. @oller_o


While carriers in much of the world are enjoying the good times again, there are early warning signs too many big jets have come into the market. Deutsche Lufthansa and Air France-KLM in recent weeks issued profit warnings as capacity on intercontinental routes has outpaced demand.

"It goes in swings and roundabouts," AerCap's Mr. Kelly said.



Based on the article “Plane Makers' Sweet Spot: Bigger, but Not Too Big” published in The Wall Street Journal.

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A350-800 future not clear.

July 31, 2014, 1:12 pm
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For the A350-800, Airbus still has no clear answer. It is contractually obliged to deliver the first aircraft in 2016, one year ahead of the -1000, although it has been trying to delay entry into service to around 2020 while redefining the version. Some observers have suggested that the -800 might be killed once the reengined A330 has been formally launched.


photo by @horstroad

Airbus is putting no work into the -800 now, but Evrard says shrinking the -900 would not be a very difficult task. “The -800 will not require a lot of development work. And with the backlog reduced, we have some more headroom to maneuver,” he says. The number of firm orders for the smallest A350 is down to 28.



It is unclear whether the current official position is only a polite way of saying Airbus essentially does not want to build the aircraft. There are very real concerns that the A330neo makes the A350-800 redundant.

Based on the article “Shifting Gears” published in Aviation Week   

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A350-900; from development phase to series ramp up. “Head of version” concept.

August 1, 2014, 12:08 pm
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The improvement plans of suppliers for the A350 are in the spotlight as the -900 variant moves closer to certification and entry into service and Airbus’s focus shifts from development challenges to an intense effort to ramp up production smoothly. 


Based on a photo by @horstroad

The A350 production rate stands at 2/month now, even though flight testing is ongoing. MSN006 and MSN007, the first production-standard aircraft, are in advanced stages of assembly in Toulouse. By the time the first A350  is delivered to Qatar Airways—tentatively planned for the end of November—Airbus should be building 3 A350s/month. It plans to increase the rate to 5/month a year later and 10/month eventually. 


photo by @horstroad


But production volume is not the only hurdle. As is typical for new aircraft, Airbus also has to deliver many different so-called heads of versions, the first aircraft customized for  the launch customer. In spite of efforts to reduce customization—and thus final assembly complexity—Airbus must still provide airlines their many requested individual solutions, in particular in the cabin, where they aim to differentiate themselves.


photo by @horstroad

Airbus plans to freeze the aircraft definitions for 10 customers this year, including Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and Cathay Pacific. In 2015, 15 more airline definitions will follow for Lufthansa, TAP Portugal, Asiana, Air Caraibes, Etihad and Hawaiian Airlines, among others. And the definition number will rise to 17 in 2016, when carriers such as TAM, Aeroflot, United Airlines and Air China have to make final configuration decisions for their A350s.


photo by @horstroad

Last year, Airbus inaugurated a Customer Definition Center at its plant in Hamburg, Germany, to provide  airlines with better facilities in which to evaluate interior design choices.



Based on the article “Shifting Gears” published in Aviation Week   

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Eaton is developing many sub-systems for the new Trent XWB-97 engine for the A350-1000.

August 2, 2014, 9:13 am
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Power management company Eaton announced that Rolls-Royce Corporation recently selected Eaton to continue providing its proven engine build-up solution for the Trent XWB-97 engine program (which will power the new Airbus A350-1000).


Based on a photo by @horstroad

“We are excited to continue our involvement on the Trent XWB engine program by providing a reliable, lightweight and technically advanced engine build-up solution for the XWB-97," said Uday Yadav, president of Eaton's Aerospace Group. “Our successful performance on the initial engine contract award helped Rolls-Royce achieve significant program results and paved the way for our continued relationship on the XWB-97."


Based on a photo by Todd Ryan


Eaton's selection helps minimize program risks by optimizing commonality between the 84,000 pound-thrust and 97,000 pound-thrust engine variants.


photo by @horstroad

In 2009, Rolls-Royce selected Eaton as a strategic partner for the Trent XWB engine program. Eaton designed, developed and integrated systems for the EBU portfolio, which encompassed a variety of components customized for the XWB.  By providing complete EBU sub-systems coupled with onsite engineering support, Eaton optimized the significant number of engine interfaces and replaced complex tubing and ducting with more modular products specifically designed for easier, faster installation and removal.


photo by @horstroad

As in the original XWB engine program, Eaton will be responsible for the design, development, manufacture and certification of the XWB-97 low-pressure fuel system, starter air system, thermal anti-icing system, engine bleed air system along with sense and muscle lines, variable frequency generator system, power door opening system, fire-extinguisher system and pylon drains.



Based on the press release “Eaton Selected by Rolls-Royce to Continue Providing Engine Build-Up Sub-Systems for New Trent XWB-97 Engine Program”

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Kuwaiti parliament gives the green light to the Kuwait Airways´ agreement for 10 A350-900s.

August 3, 2014, 11:53 am
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A Kuwaiti parliamentary committee investigating a Kuwait Airways deal to buy and lease aircraft from Airbus has ruled the agreement legitimate.




The airline said in December it had signed a provisional agreement to buy 25 Airbus aircraft and lease another 12, in a deal worth $4.4bn at the time, after months of controversial negotiating.

The airline had originally announced it would go with Airbus but then pulled out and re-opened the door to Boeing, before finally signing with the French company.




A group of lawmakers had claimed the deal lacked detail and was “suspicious”, while MP Abdulhameed Dashti has accused the airline of deliberately “ignoring” Boeing despite the US being a Kuwaiti ally.

Kuwait Airways CEO Rasha Al Roumi said it made commercial sense to re-open negotiations with both aircraft manufacturers when she took over the airline and ultimately she was convinced the Airbus deal was the best.




A member of the parliamentary committee investigating the deal, Talal Al Jalal, said the probe involved meetings with Kuwait Airways’ board of directors, the Audit Bureau and Kuwait Investment Authority and concluded that all procedures were correct and that the deal was necessary for the national carrier, Kuwait Times reported.




The order includes 10 A350-900 and 15 A320neo aircraft.

All pictures from here.


Based on the article “Kuwaiti parliament clears Airbus planes deal” published in Arabian Business
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These are some of the problems detected during A350-900 flight test campaign

August 4, 2014, 12:40 pm
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With the A350, “what has pleased me most is that we have initiated a lot of ground testing,” says Fernando Alonso, the Airbus executive in charge of flight testing. “We have made significant improvements relative to other aircraft programs.”


http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/


Mr Alonso adds that the test flights identified some problems, including with the doors for the landing gear and with software that controls the brakes. 


http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/


“All these are normal – that is why we do flight tests,” he says. “We have not found anything ‘Oh my God, I don’t know how to handle this’.”


All photos © Airbus

Based on the article “Airbus bets on timely take-off for A350 despite past delays” published in The Financial Times.

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UAE nationals from Strata Manufacturing visits the A350.

August 5, 2014, 1:26 pm
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 Last week a delegation of UAE nationals from Strata Manufacturing visited an Airbus A350 aircraft that underwent extreme climate testing at Al Ain International Airport.

The delegation had the opportunity to experience first-hand the innovative technologies used in producing this next-generation aircraft that is made from 53% composite materials.


www.mubadala.com

At present, the company has more than 650 employees from over 30 nationalities with 40% UAE national staff, among whom 85% are women.

The visit also provided a valuable learning experience as Abu Dhabi’s Strata Manufacturing, which already produces composite aero structures, will begin producing flap track fairings for Airbus A350 aircraft by year-end.


www.airbus.com

Set up in 2010 by Mubadala Development Company, Strata manufactures A330/340 flap track fairings, A330/340 aileron panels with assemblies, A330/340 spoilers, A380 flap track fairings, Boeing 777 ribs, Boeing 787 ribs and the ATR vertical fin.

Strata has partnerships with some of the world’s leading original equipment manufacturers, including Boeing, Airbus and Alenia Aermacchi, as well as tier-one suppliers FACC and Sabca.



By 2018, Airbus’ order book with Strata will reach approximately $100 million a year, making Strata a significant supplier to Airbus.

 

 

Based on the article “New A350 aircraft project for Strata” published in Khaleej Times

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Air New Zealand will consider the A350 for future Boeing 777 replacement.

August 6, 2014, 12:46 pm
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Air New Zealand will run the ruler over both the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 as replacements for its current long-range Boeing 777 fleet, the airline revealed.


http://www.hkitalk.net/HKiTalk2/thread-861029-1-1.html

Also in the mix is a second batch of 787-9s with more premium seating for the North American market.


https://nurhakhan.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/07d_8961.jpg

"In the next decade we’ll have to look at the replacement of our Boeing 777-200ERs as well as the Boeing 777-300ER" Air New Zealand  chief financial officer Rob McDonald told journalists in Seattle ahead of the delivery flight of the Kiwi carrier's first Boeing 787-9.


http://www.hkitalk.net/HKiTalk2/thread-861029-1-1.html

McDonald said "this will be a big contest" between the Boeing 777X and the Airbus A350, although adding "that's many years away."

 

Closer on the calendar is a 2nd order for the Boeing 787-9, with Air New Zealand  holding options to buy 8 more of the Dreamliners on top of the current 10.

 

 

Based on the article “Air New Zealand considers Boeing 777X vs Airbus A350” published in Australian Business Traveller.

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Russian titanium in the A350 program and EU sanctions.

August 7, 2014, 12:53 pm
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Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders said the company isn't concerned about supply disruptions of titanium from Russia even as the European Union imposes new sanctions on Russia.

Airbus's relationship with Russian company VSMPO is "very stable," Mr. Enders said. “VSMPO is a key strategic partner."

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/


Airbus purchases titanium raw material and forgings from VSMPO, the world's biggest titanium supplier.

"I do not expect the flow of it will be cut off short of all-out war," said Mr. Enders to  analysts when presenting the company's first-half results.

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/

The European Union is imposing further sanctions on Russia over the country's efforts to destabilize Ukraine.

Airbus (and rival Boeing) rely heavily on titanium from Russia to build their jets. The A350  has 14% titanium content.

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/


Mr. Enders said Airbus is continuing to explore mitigation actions –Airbus is in talks with potential alternative suppliers- while expressing "strong confidence" in the VSMPO ties.

All photos © Airbus

Based on the article “Airbus CEO Shrugs Off Concerns Over Supply Disruption Amid Sanctions” published in Dow Jones Business News.

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Aer Lingus to decide between already-ordered A350 or the A330neo.

August 8, 2014, 1:02 pm
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Aer Lingus has announced that it will study the A330neo's "capabilities and its potential suitability" for its future long-haul operations.


http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/


Aer Lingus stated: "Discussions with Airbus regarding Aer Lingus’ A350-XWB long haul fleet order have substantially concluded with just some final matters relating to manufacturer communicated delivery delays to be agreed. 

Aer Lingus notes Airbus’ recently announced intention to produce the A330neo long haul aircraft. Aer Lingus will study this aircraft’s capabilities and its potential suitability for the Group’s long haul requirements and future plans."

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/


Aer Lingus already operates the current A330 and it has 9 A350-900 on order, scheduled for delivery between 2018 and 2020.

The A330neo, with new engines to help deliver 14% greater efficiency, “looks like a fantastic aircraft for our route profile,” airline Chief Executive Christoph Muller said. 

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/



The A350 offers more range than Aer Lingus needs for its international flights, so the A330neo is a better match.


All photos © Airbus


Based on the article “Aer Lingus 'will study' A330neo” published in CAPA.
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Airline 1 new concept to ensure mature EIS of the A350.

August 9, 2014, 1:35 pm
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One important feature in the maturity campaign has been what Airbus calls Airline 1. This entails mirroring airline operations by applying key performance indicators, such as reliability or interruptions. A dedicated hangar is used for daily maintenance. 



http://www.hkitalk.net/HKiTalk2/thread-861029-1-1.html



“The concept is simple: to operate and test the aircraft as much as possible in an operational environment, use the maintenance and support systems that our customers would have, capture their findings as soon as possible, and fix small issues quickly,” explained Didier Evrard, Head of the A350 XWB Programme. “The Airline 1 concept is a means to accelerate the aircraft maturity at the end of development.”

Photo by Lufthansa.

Airline 1 comprises a dedicated staff that operates a hangar and maintenance control centre in coordination with Airbus’ flight-test team. This allows for daily maintenance, support and repair operations for the five-aircraft A350 XWB test fleet in an environment similar to what the jetliner will experience in commercial service.  

www.airbus.com


Taking lessons from previous aircraft service introductions across the industry, Airline 1 concept was developed specifically to ensure a smooth service entry for the A350.

Photo by @ ATC Blog



Based on the article “Shifting Gears” published in Aviation Week  

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A350-900 will join Iberia’s long-haul fleet

August 10, 2014, 12:19 pm
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International Airlines Group (IAG) has converted 8 A350-900 options into firm orders for Iberia. The airline becomes a new customer for the A350XWB Family.




IAG secured commercial terms for the A350 aircraft as part of the Group long-haul order announced in April 2013 when 18 A350-900s were ordered for British Airways. One year ago, IAG disclosed that it had also reached agreement with Airbus and they were placed options for a total of 32 Airbus A350s to renew the Iberia long-haul fleet, “subject to its Spanish subsidiary's satisfactory restructuring”.



“We are very proud that IAG has chosen the A350-900 aircraft for Iberia. We welcome a new operator of the most efficient mid-size long-haul aircraft in the market,” said John Leahy, Airbus COO, Customers.






Based on the press release “IAG firms up for 8 Airbus A350-900”
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GKN´s A350 ramp-up on track; more rear-wing-spars shipped in H1/2014 than in 2013.

August 11, 2014, 12:58 pm
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GKN, a supplier of aircraft structures to Airbus and Boeing, said it has doubled production rates for the A350 model as it nears service entry.



GKN makes 27-meter rear wing spars that hold key parts such as the A350’s main landing gear. Shipments of the high-value composite structures are surging with the jet nearing its commercial debut with Qatar Airways in late 2014.



“We’ve shipped more in the first half of this year than we shipped in the whole of last year,” said Nigel Stein GKN’s CEO. “It will step up further in the second half.”



GKN bolstered its status as a primary contractor to Airbus with the 2008 purchase of the planemaker’s Filton wing-parts plant in the U.K., doubling the airliner-structures order book to $10 billion and guaranteeing work through the lifetime of models including the A350. The company’s aerospace unit boosted its profit margin to 11% in the first half as gains in commercial revenue offset military declines, reported GKN.





Based on the article “GKN Doubles Airbus A350 Wing-Spar Output on Service Entry” published in Bloomberg.
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Lufthansa could order more A350s if it works its planned low-cost long-haul operations.

August 12, 2014, 2:07 pm
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German carrier Lufthansa is likely to expand its planned low-cost long-haul operations if their launch goes well, its Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told The Financial Times.





Lufthansa last month announced a new strategy that includes expanding low-cost services in Europe and on intercontinental flights as it battles competition from Middle Eastern and budget airlines.





Photo by @kayke tavares


It has said it would build up the inter-continental budget service to 7 Boeing 767s or Airbus A330s readily available on the market.

Photo by @Jaws300


"If it works we'll be rolling it over into A350s or 787s and we probably won't stop at 7 planes," the paper quoted Carsten Spohr as saying in an interview published last week.

Photo by @Jaws300


Lufthansa currently has 25 A350-900s and no 787s on order.


Photo by @Jaws300


It has not yet decided whether to team up with a partner for the low-cost business or go it alone and has been in talks with Turkish Airlines on the matter.

"I want to be in the air by next fall," Spohr told the FT.


Based on the article “Lufthansa likely to expand long-haul low-cost ops - CEO in FT” published in Reuters.
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A350 route-proving campaign successfully completed prior to the Type Certification. Videos.

August 13, 2014, 10:12 am
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Airbus has been working hard to complete A350 flight testing in preparation for formal European Aviation Safety Agency airworthiness approval in coming weeks.



By 13/August, the five A350 test aircraft had logged more than 2.500 hours during about 610 flights.

Airbus has completed the route-proving campaign with A350-900 MSN5 (F-WWYB), which is one of two A350 flight-test aircraft equipped with an airline cabin interior and sporting only a “light” flight-test equipment fit.




According to flight and integration tests Senior Vice President Fernando Alonso, route proving has proved “quite a logistics exercise” that has required several flight crews positioned around the world. The aircraft has undertaken around 35 flights totaling some 200 hours’ flying representative of airline operations, including high-airfield performance, auto-landing trials, and airport turnaround and handling services.




The A350’s World Tour began on 24/July and the MSN5 has visited Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia, Singapore and South Africa.



The aircraft has been operated by Airbus flight crews and during this route proving exercise a representative airline schedule operation has been demonstrated such as normal airline turnarounds using airport handling services.






"We didn't discover anything we didn't know about," said Fernando Alonso, SVP for flight testing at Airbus. "The airplane is perfectly fit to go into service tomorrow."

None of the route-proving flights were delayed, Mr. Alonso said, and only one communications device had to be replaced. Nuisance messages that cropped up are due to be addressed before Qatar Airways starts flying the plane.




"Of course I remain prudent," Mr. Alonso said. "No matter how much testing has been done, the airplane will be exposed to other things by airlines."



The program has comprised 4 trips, each of which has begun in Toulouse:


Trip 1: Toulouse-Iqaluit-Frankfurt-Toulouse.

The first phase of A350 XWB route-proving flights took the MSN5 from Toulouse over the North Pole to Iqaluit Airport in the Canadian territory of Nunavut.  On its return flight, the A350-900 made a stopover in Frankfurt for visits by personnel from Lufthansa.


Click the picture to watch the video.



Trip 2: Toulouse-Hong-Kong-Singapore-Hong-Kong-Toulouse.

MSN5 travelled to Asia on the 2nd trip of its global route-proving tour to demonstrate the aircraft’s readiness for airline operations. In this phase, the jetliner flew from Toulouse to Hong Kong, and then operated multiple flights between Hong Kong and Singapore before returning to Toulouse. The Asian trip allowed Airbus to evaluate the A350 XWB’s performance in hot and humid conditions, as well as showcase the aircraft for Cathay Pacific Airways.


Click the picture to watch the video.



Trip 3: Toulouse-Johannesburg-Sydney-Auckland-Santiago de Chile-Sao Paulo-Toulouse.

The MSN5 on the 3rd trip received warm welcome in Johannesburg -where the aircraft carried out high airfield auto-landing trials-; Sydney, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Santiago, Chile then flew to Sao Paulo, Brazil before returning to Toulouse, France.


 Click the picture to watch the video.




Trip 4: Toulouse-Doha-Perth-Doha-Moscow-Helsinki-Toulouse.

The MSN5 on the 4th trip flew from Toulouse to Doha and after a quick visit to Perth, Australia, it returned to Doha. The plane flew to Moscow –through Iran- where many spotters were waiting since hours and finally it  received a warm welcome in Helsinki, Finland.



Note: the video will be included in coming days as soon as it is released.
Meanwhile check this video.







With flight testing mostly complete, Airbus still has to complete paperwork to submit to the Cologne, Germany-based European Aviation Safety Agency before the regulator signs off on the jet. EASA, whose technical experts have flown the plane, are expected to give their stamp of approval next month.




Based on the article “A350 Testing Approaches Conclusion With Route Proving” published in AINonline, based on the article “Airbus A350 Set to Complete Final Tests, Gear Up for First Deliveries” published in The Wall Street Journal and based on different press released by Airbus.





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ETOPS target of 420 minutes for A350.

August 14, 2014, 8:42 am
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While the A350 will receive extended operations clearance of 180 minutes upon certification, the ultimate aim for Airbus is that the aircraft will be able to fly virtually unrestricted anywhere around the world.



A350 project test pilot Frank Chapman said the flight plans for Johannesburg-Sydney and Auckland-Santiago de Chile –during the route proving 3rd flight- were not restricted by extended operations regulations given they were test flights with only crew and technical staff on board.

But Chapman explained Airbus was working on eventually securing 420-minute ETOPS restrictions for operators of the aircraft. This would mean, apart from a few routes over the north and south poles, the A350 would have no restrictions on where it could fly, Chapman said.



A 420-minute ETOPS would mean the aircraft would be approved to fly for 7 hours on one engine in the event of an engine failure.

Extended operations, or ETOPS, rules restrict how far an aircraft can fly from the nearest airport.



Over the next 2 weeks the A350 will perform six or seven more long-range flights over water, Alonso said, initiating power and systems failures to show it can fly for seven hours on one engine. 



Recently, Boeing said its 787 Dreamliners received ETOPS clearance for 330-minutes, which opened up the possibility of the twinsets being used for two of Qantas’s longest overwater routes currently flown with the four-engine 747-400 – Sydney to Johannesburg and Sydney to Santiago.


Based on the article “Airbus seeking 420-minute ETOPS certification for A350” published in Australian Aviation.
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Spirit Aerosystems makes significant progress in the A350 with more than 1 shipset/month rate.

August 15, 2014, 12:21 pm
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Spirit AeroSystems reported second quarter 2014 financial results including continued healthy demand for large commercial aircraft and strong mature program operating performance. Spirit’s second quarter 2014 revenues were $1.8 billion, up from $1.5 billion for the same period of 2013 on higher deliveries.


Photo by @Jaws300


Operating income was $216 million, up from a loss of ($239) million for the same period in 2013. Net income for the quarter was $143 million, or $1.01 per fully diluted share.




Although in the press release it is mentioned (sic) “expected Airbus deliveries in 2014 at a similar level to those in 2013” delivery rate has been increased and it has passed the 1/month rate with 5 deliveries in the 2Q/2014.


Photo by @Jaws300


“This quarter, we made significant progress on the A350 program,” said Larry Lawson, President and Chief Executive Officer.


Photo by @Jaws300


Doubts with the 1Q/2014 deliveries rate have been dispelled for the moment.





Based on the press release of Spirit Aerosystems 2Q/2014 Earnings Presentation.
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TAM will start receiving the A350-900 in December/2015.

August 16, 2014, 11:01 am
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LATAM Airlines Group, Latin America's largest airline, confirmed that the 27 A350-900 on the orderbook will arrive between December/2015 and 2019.




Santiago-based LATAM is the result of a 2012 merger of Chile's LAN and Brazil's TAM airlines, which continue to operate as separate brands.




TAM will fly the new jets, mainly on routes from Brazil to cities in other countries, Roberto Alvo, LATAM's chief corporate officer confirmed. TAM will be the first Latin American airline flying the A350.




During the presentation of the MSN5 prototype in Santiago de Chile on 7/August –and the day after in Sao Paulo, Brazil- Alvo said that TAM is going to equip the A350-900 with the latest cabin technology, with the most comfortable seats on the market, the most modern on-board entertainment systems. “We're going to have much more space on the aircraft," he said.



For his part, Airbus' president for the Latin American and Caribbean region, Rafael Alonso, hailed the deal and said Airbus accounts for "62% of the planes sold in Latin America."


Based on the article “LATAM Airlines orders 27 Airbus A350-900 jetliners” published by EFE.
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A350 Partial-Evacuation Tests were done at Toulouse

August 17, 2014, 11:51 am
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The partial evacuation tests was performed on 11/April in Saint Martin site at Toulouse with the MSN2 prototype. Two different tests were carried out in the presence of the appropriate airworthiness authorities in the doors number 1 and number 3.



Why partial tests on doors 1 & 3?

Because these 2 doors can be equipped by airlines with single-track evacuation slides (known as configuration Type C). The other 2 doors (2 & 4) are Type A doors that are always equipped with double-track evacuation slides. As there were no official data for the new configuration Type C, certification tests were required.




200 Airbus employees –between 18 and 60 years old volunteers- were split in 2 groups and they evacuated the aircraft for each Door 1 & 3. The tests were conducted in a dark hangar to simulate night conditions and only the airplane's emergency lighting system were providing illumination. Before Air France´s cabin-crew standard safety demonstration, some pillows, blankets, hand-baggages and a baby-doll was distributed to simulate real conditions.



When one cabin attendant activated the evacuation alarm, she and her colleague tried to open both doors but only one of the door was “on”. There were no injuries during the 2 evacuations and the certification tests were a complete success being validated by the airworthiness authorities.



Evacuation slides are manufactured by Zodiac Aero Evacuation Systems and they are equipped with lights. The tests were recorded with infrared cameras and a team of 40 experts were witnessing them onboard and in the hangar.



Based on the article “Success of the partial evac tests” published in One Magazine

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