Airbus makes progress on A330-200 Freighter; more AF tanker talk

Published 1:48 pm Monday, July 20, 2009

Airbus is making progress on its first A330 Freighter, which is set to take its first flight in November, the jet maker said today.

Final assembly of the A330-200 Freighter is underway in Toulouse, France, where workers began putting the freighter together in June. Airbus has joined the fuselage sections and wing and horizontal/vertical tail. It has also installed the main and nose landing gear.

After Airbus puts its A330 Freighter in the air in November, the company plans to deliver the first cargo plane to Ethiad Airways next spring.

Airbus said it has 65 firm orders from nine customers for the A330-200F.

There’s no doubt we’ll be hearing a lot more about the freighter as it moves toward first flight and first delivery and as the U.S. Air Force tanker competition starts up again later this year.

Airbus’ parent company, EADS, had promised to move some final assembly work for the freighter to Mobile, Ala., if EADS and partner Northrop Grumman won the $35 billion competition. The EADS-Northrop tanker offering is based off the A330.

Boeing is expected to offer its KC-767 or a tanker based off its 777 commercial plane. Boeing delivered its first 777 Freighter earlier this year.

Talk about the tanker contest continues. Here are links to a few of the latest articles:

Split could seal Air Force aerial-refueling tanker contract – Chicago Tribune

No Date Set Yet for USAF Tanker Re-bid – Doug McVitie, founder and chief consultant at Arran Aerospace and former Airbus executive.