AIRBUS DELIVERS LANDMARK AIRCRAFT FOR ITS LARGEST LATIN AMERICAN OPERATOR


LATAM Airlines Group received its 200th A320 Family aircraft during the Paris Air Show today, highlighting an important milestone for one of Airbus’ major worldwide customers.

The jetliner, a Sharklet-equipped A320 that will operate under the TAM Airlines livery, was accepted during a ceremony at Le Bourget Airport this morning.



This 200th A320 Family delivery is the latest milestone for Airbus and the LATAM Airlines Group – which is the company’s third largest airline customer.

LATAM Airlines Group was created through the merger of Chile-based LAN and TAM of Brazil, in 2012. Airbus’ relationship with these associated airlines dates back to 1998, when LAN and TAM joined TACA to place a joint order for 90 A320 Family aircraft, with an option for 90 more – the largest commercial aviation contract in Latin American history at the time.

In 2011, LAN Airlines placed the region’s first firm order for the A320neo, while TAM is set to become the first Latin American operator of the A350 XWB, with a firm order for 27 of these next-generation widebody airliners – making it the largest A350-900 customer in the Americas and fourth largest worldwide.

A total of more than 500 Airbus aircraft are in operation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past 10 years, in-service Airbus aircraft in the region have tripled, while the company has delivered more than 60 per cent of all airliners operating in this part of the world.

Airbus 18.06.2013

Comlux has taken delivery of the first Airbus ACJ321, the newest private jet from the world’s most modern aircraft family, which means that it will become the first to have operated every corporate Airbus A320 Family version.



The Airbus ACJ321 is now being outfitted with VVIP cabin by Comlux America in Indianapolis, and is due to be completed in 2014. Like the Airbus ACJ318, ACJ319 and ACJ320, the ACJ321 will have the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet and, because of its stretched fuselage, it will also have the longest. Additional centre tanks will also give the ACJ321 extra range.

“Comlux has established a reputation that is synonymous with comfort and luxury, and the Airbus ACJ321 will enable us to offer our customers even more of that in the air,” says Comlux, The Aviation Group President & CEO Richard Gaona. “We have operated the Airbus ACJ318, ACJ319 and ACJ320, so the ACJ321 brings a new dimension to our fleet while also being an easy addition, because of its cockpit and maintenance commonality. This is an important year for Comlux because we are celebrating our 10th anniversary. We started to operate the ACJ Family in 2006 and to date we have flown more than 15,000 charter hours on our Airbus fleet. This record is a great achievement for a private jet operator and shows the sustainability of Comlux in the large-cabin business aviation market."

Comlux was an early Airbus private jet customer, was the first to operate the Airbus ACJ318, and its fleet now includes five Airbus corporate jets. It operates all of its Airbus fleet to the highest standards, including 180 min extended range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) and Category 3B autoland.

Whether you travel on business or are in the business of travel, you want to take comfort and space into the air and, with the widest, tallest and longest cabins in the sky, you get more of that with Airbus corporate jets,” enthuses Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy. “So whether you fly your own Airbus corporate jet or charter one from a leading VVIP operator such as Comlux, you can be sure to get the best cabin in the sky,” he adds.

With a heritage of modern airframes, efficient engines, and robust reliability, as well as apartment-sized cabins, Airbus corporate jets are the new top end of the business jet market. With a similar footprint to that of traditional large business-jets, Airbus corporate jets also fit existing ramp space.

More than 170 Airbus corporate jets have been sold worldwide, and they are flying on every continent, including Antarctica.

Airbus 18.06.2013

On track with programme schedule

Airbus confirms that the A350 XWB first flight is planned for this Friday, 14th June, based on current visibility of the programme and the flight test status. Weather conditions permitting, the A350 XWB “MSN1” will take off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport at around 10:00 am local time.



The A350 XWB flight test teams are now carrying out the last checks on the A350 XWB “MSN1” before they give their final green light for the first flight to take place this Friday. Recent pre-first flight tests successfully carried out include the first power up of the fuel efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines on MSN1, which took place on June 2nd.

The A350 XWB is the all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. The new family will bring a step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category, using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. Scheduled for entry-into-service in second half of 2014, the A350 XWB has already won 613 firm orders from 33 customers worldwide.

11 JUNE 2013 PRESS RELEASE

When the first A350 XWB to fly, known as MSN1, makes its maiden flight, an international crew of six will be on board, comprising two Flight Test Pilots, one Test Flight Engineer and three Flight Test Engineers.



Two test pilots and the project test flight engineer will be located in the cockpit:

· Peter Chandler, an Experimental Flight Test Pilot with Airbus since 2000 and Chief Test Pilot since 2011;

· Guy Magrin, an Experimental Flight Test Pilot with Airbus since 2003 and Project Pilot for the A350 XWB;

· Pascal Verneau, who has held various positions in Airbus’ flight test division since 1999 and is the A350 XWB Project Test Flight Engineer.

Our A350 XWB Project pilots have been heavily involved in cockpit and systems design and integrations from the operational perspective.

The three remaining first flight test crew members, all of them Experimental Flight Test Engineers, will be working at dedicated flight test stations and managing the progress of the flight profile:

· Fernando Alonso, Flight Test Engineer with Airbus since 1982 and Head of Airbus Flight & Integration Test Centre since 2007;

· Patrick du Ché, Flight Test Engineer with Airbus since 2001 and currently Head of Development Flight Tests since 2012;

· Emanuele Constanzo, Flight Test Engineer with Airbus since 2004 and lead Flight Test Engineer for the Trent XWB engine.

4 June 2013 Press Release

Wizz Air Hungary takes delivery of its first Airbus Sharklet equipped A320

Wizz Air Hungary, the largest Central and Eastern European low cost - low fare airline, has taken delivery of its first A320 aircraft equipped with Sharklet fuel saving wing tip devices. The carrier becomes one of the first Eastern European Airlines to do so, following the delivery in March of the first A320 with Sharklets to Wizz Air Ukraine. Wizz Air’s cumulative orders stand at 112 aircraft. Including this delivery, Wizz Air Hungary’s in service fleet rises to 38 A320 Family aircraft.



Sharklets are newly designed wing-tip devices that improve the aircraft’s aerodynamics and significantly cut the airline’s fuel burn and emissions by four per cent on longer sectors. Sharklets are an option on A320 Family aircraft. They offer the flexibility to A320 Family operators of either adding around 100 nautical miles more range or allowing an increased payload capability of up to 450 kilograms.

29 April 2013 Press Release