Airbus reports that A350-1000 certification testing is progressing well and is on track to reach Type Certification followed by Entry Into Service in second half of 2017. 

Test aircraft MSN065 recently completed 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.

The aircraft took off from and landed in Toulouse on 11th May after a 12 hours flight. 

Passengers comprised Airbus employees and cabin crew personnel from Virgin Atlantic Airways - one of the 12 A350-1000 customers. They werre able to test the cabin systems, including air conditioning, lighting, acoustics, in-flight entertainment (IFE), galleys, electrics, washrooms and water waste systems. 

Though not part of the technical certification programme, the Early Long Flight allows Airbus to assess cabin environment and systems in-flight and optimise cabin procedures to ensure full maturity at Entry Into Service for its customers.

In other news, test aircraft MSN071 completed fuel system and engine tests in Cardiff, Wales between 3rd and 4th May as part of its type certification flight test campaign.

Fuel test engineers from Airbus’ site at Filton, Bristol, were on hand to support testing of the fuel systems that were designed in the UK. The objective of the test is to simulate operational conditions in hot countries and check how global fuel management system and engines behave with hot fuel (over 43°C).

The aircraft was fuelled twice a day and then the flight test team performed a number of required engine and systems flight tests with hot fuel.