Airbus could win an order for 10 A350-900 from Kuwait Airways.

Airbus is close to sealing a purchase agreement from Kuwait Airways for 25 aircraft in a deal valued at $4.4 billion based on list price, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The state-owned airline may sign the agreement as early as this month to purchase 10 Airbus A350-900s and 15 single-aisle A320neos, with deliveries starting in 2019, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the decision hasn’t been finalized.

As part of the purchase agreement, Kuwait Airways will also lease 13 aircraft from Airbus, with the first to be received in June or July, the people said. The airline plans to take all 11 of its A300s, A310s and A320s out of service by the end of this year, one of the people said.

Kuwait Airways, which expects to pay about 850 million dinars ($3 billion) for the order, chose Airbus over an offer by Boeing partly because the cost was lower, one of the people said.

Based on the article “Airbus Said Close to Order for 25 Planes From Kuwait Airways” published in Bloomberg

First A350 XWB painting completed. Pictures and video of the MSN001

Painting of the first A350 XWB “MSN001” was today fully completed as it emerged in its Airbus livery out from the paintshop in Toulouse.

It’s flight-test instrumentation is largely installed, along with it’s Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. MSN001 also has completed a series of ground vibration tests.

Unlike previous aircraft debuts, Airbus did not hold a roll-out ceremony, but it did present the aircraft to a group of employees when rolling out the MSN1 from the paint hangar, where the aircraft has been painted in less than a week.

Next milestone will be on Friday 17/May when it is scheduled the hand over by the flight-test department, industry sources tell Aviation Week.

click on the picture to see a video of the rool out

Once transferred to the flight-test department, the aircraft will undergo its last phases of ground testing, including high-speed taxi tests. Airbus will not comment on the exact timing of these tests.

click on the picture to see a video of the rool out

Sources familiar with the program say that it will take about 20 days to prepare the aircraft for first flight.

click on the picture to see a video of the rool out

Airbus has indicated that it is unlikely the A350 will fly before the Paris Air Show in June, but the 20-day period ends about one week before the opening of the show at Le Bourget.

First-flight dates can be affected by weather problems or last-minute technical issues.

Based on the article “Airbus Rolls Out First A350” published by Aviation Week



Winglets are the visual identity brand of the A350 XWB

The A350 XWB winglets have become the more visible difference and the identity brand of the aircraft in the first comparisons made before the first flight. They are designed to achieve the best aerodynamic performance so they contribute to reduce the fuel consumption.

Developed, tested and manufactured in composite by Austrian Tier1 FACC, they are 2.3m wide at the basis and 2m high.

FACC team is also in charge of the full scale tests (both static and dynamic) for resilience, fatigue and endurance, up to mechanical failure.

The winglets are painted before installation on the aircraft allowing the Customer an early visual identification of the aircraft (as with the Vertical Tail Plane).

The A350 XWB winglets are painted in a new facility at Clément Ader site (Toulouse) before fixing to the 32-metre wing with about 80 fasteners.

For MSN1, the winglets have been customized with a nice gradation of Airbus-blue which has required a special mix of colours, a real work of art for the painters.

A350 XWB first aircraft MSN1 in the paintshop during the first week of May

The MSN1 entered the paintshop in the night of Monday to Tuesday 7/May to advance in the painting during this “very-short week” in France with bank holidays from Wednesday to Sunday because of the Victory Day 8/May and Ascension Day on 9/May (also holiday in Germany).

The A350 should get out of the painting hall next week but could remain hidden from pictures before being delivered to the flight test team later in May. Unless Airbus decides to show the aircraft in it's way back to the FAL.

 

The painting of A350 XWB MSN1 in "Airbus-blue" colors  uses an environmentally-friendly, chromate-free primer paint. In addition, following best practices from the auto industry, Airbus uses a new base coat/clear coat system that requires less paint and less solvent. This eco-efficient painting process also means that less detergent will be needed when washing the aircraft.

Based on the article “Airbus : L'A350 en peinture” published in Aeroweb-fr

French president Hollande will try to bring an order of 20 A350 from Japan to Le Bourget

François Hollande will visit Japan from 6 to 8/June in a state-visit mainly focused in economic & energy 'partnerships', according to its Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. He will be back in France for the week before Le Bourget. 

 

The award last week to the French Areva and the Japanese Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of the contract for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey "is quite symbolic of the work that we can do together," welcomed Mr. Fabius during a 24-hour visit to Tokyo to prepare the arrival of Mr. Hollande, the first state-visit of a French president since 1996.

 

"This visit will be a great place for partnerships" in educational, cultural, economic and energy, said Mr. Fabius, who spoke of cooperation "either direct, or to go to third countries", as in the case of the Turkish nuclear contract.

 

Although the Japanese economic daily Nikkei has mentioned the possible sale of 20 Airbus A350 to JAL- Japan Airlines, Mr. Fabius, who did not want to comment on this assumption, found unlikely announcing "major contracts" during the presidential visit.

Based on the article “Fabius: Hollande au Japon en juin pour développer les partenariats” published in Le Point

“Probably no A350 rollout ceremony. We'll go straight to our first flight."

Airbus has started painting the A350 XWB, a sign it is approaching a maiden flight, but has bowed to the industry's increasingly pragmatic mood by deciding against a traditional "rollout" for its newest jet.

The A350 XWB will prepare to leave the nest with less fanfare than the A380 eight years ago in an industry sobered by delays and technical mishaps. The first coat of paint in Airbus livery will be ready next week, people familiar with the project say.

The lack of pomp reflects growing emphasis on project "execution" after Airbus, Boeing and other manufacturers endured multiple delays and problems culminating in the 3-month grounding of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner earlier this year.

Asked recently whether Airbus would hold an A350 rollout ceremony, Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier said, "Probably not. We'll go straight to our first flight."

  

"The rollout concept perhaps became a bit devalued by the presentation of an empty 787 with the wrong fasteners and no cockpit," said Agency Partners analyst Nick Cunningham.

"Historically, rollouts have been a great way of raising the profile of a new airliner. But it is understandable if Airbus feels that a first flight event can serve that purpose more effectively," said Andrew Doyle, Editor of Flight Daily News.

  

Based on the article “Paint job but no 'rollout' party for newest Airbus jet” published in Reuters

MSN1, the first flying A350 XWB, in the way to the paint shop.

The first Airbus A350 XWB jetliner made a short trip to the paint shop Monday as it readies for its coming first flight. It’s an extremely rare moment in the life of any new jetliner and happens about once per decade for passenger plane manufacturers.

The shots are the first time the jet has been seen complete with its engines attached. Airbus didn’t release photos of the jet’s “roll out” in Toulouse, but an aviation photographer — who requested anonymity — captured the moment on Monday:

 

A person familiar with the 300-passenger A350’s preparations say its Rolls-Royce engines could be powered-up for the first time as soon as the next 2 weeks once it leaves the paint shop.

Based on the article “First Look at a Complete Airbus A350” published in The Wall Street Journal