The first Airbus A350-900 for Dubai-based Emirates has successfully flown for the first time from the manufacturer’s final assembly plant at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS). The aircraft will now undergo further tests before it is handed over to its new owner in the coming days.
As AeroTime reported on September 24, 2024, the aircraft has recently been carrying out various ground tests at the French airport, including taxying tests and a high-speed rejected take-off to check the systems and handling performance of the aircraft while still on the ground.
However, on the morning of September 25, 2024, the aircraft (still carrying its Airbus test registration of F-WZGA but to be registered as A6-EXA once delivered) took to the air for the first time. Having departed from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport at 11:27 local time, the aircraft headed northeast towards the west coast of France. Having reached a point over the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Nantes, the aircraft then headed back down south towards Toulouse.
With a few further maneuvers, including an overflight of the medieval walled city of Carcassonne in southwest France, the aircraft landed back at Toulouse Airport at 15:22, completing a successful three-hour and 55-minute maiden flight.
Having completed its first flight, the aircraft will now undergo further flight testing before it is finally handed over to Emirates and departs Toulouse for its new home in Dubai in the coming days.
Emirates currently has 65 Airbus A350-900 aircraft on order. The first 50 were part of an order announced at the Dubai Airshow in 2019, with the carrier extending the purchase by 15 jets four years later in 2023.
In May 2024, the airline unveiled plans for its incoming A350-900 fleet which will kick off when A6-EXA is delivered. With the first ten A350s expected to join the Emirates fleet by March 31, 2025, the airline plans to deploy its latest aircraft type to nine short to medium-haul destinations initially, with Bahrain (BAH) being the first to see A350 service imminently.
Emirates fleet of A350-900s will feature a three-class configuration comprising 32 business class seats, 21 in premium economy, and 259 in economy. In total, the aircraft will accommodate 312 passengers in this layout.