Airbus turns power on A350 XWB flight deck

Published 10:47 am Thursday, August 2, 2012

Airbus turned the electrical power on the flight deck of its new A350 XWB jet, the company said Thursday.

The milestone comes less than a week after Airbus’ parent company, EADS, confirmed a new delay on the new, mostly composite A350.

Airbus was able to power on the flight deck within two weeks of the front fuselage section arriving at the company’s final assembly site in Toulouse, France. The jet maker said this is a “promising indication” of pre-final assembly line work and of the readiness of the A350’s systems.

Turning the power on the flight deck allows the company to conduct functional checks of much of the aircraft’s systems. Airbus plans to turn the power on the entire aircraft later this year.

The maiden flight of the first A350 XWB is planned for next year.