MSN1; braking tests started before the critical RTO Rejected TakeOff test. The French traffic control strike will force to postpone the First Flight until Friday 14/June.

Airbus started carrying out braking tests of the A350-900 prototype at Toulouse on 9 June, as it continued progress towards the first flight of aircraft MSN1.

 The aircraft performed braking manoeuvres at various speeds on the runway at Blagnac.

A source familiar with the A350 test regime said the high-speed rejected take-off test has not yet taken place.

“Airbus has not commented on when the first flight of the A350 might take place. But the source indicates that a first flight is unlikely before 13 June.”

French air transport is facing disruption this week by a strike which affects civil aviation authority DGAC. Airbus test programs have previously used a dedicated group of affiliated air traffic control personnel, meaning that an A350 test flight could proceed unhindered. The 72h strike from 11-13 June will result in a "minimum service" from French air traffic control. And Airbus doesn´t want to take more risks than strictly necessary in a flight that will extend for around four hours.

Based on the article “A350 starts critical braking tests at Toulouse” published in FlightGlobal