Airbus seems to have completed the fifteen route proving flights with an A321XLR on Friday. The aircraft returned to Toulouse, having completed 97 hours and 25 minutes since September 13. The aim was 100 hours in ten days as part of the route-proving program that will lead toward certification. The third XLR in the fleet is the only one with a fully finished cabin.
The flights started on September 13, when Flight AIB01AB departed Toulouse at 9.35 am local time and set course to Spain and Portugal, before crossing the Mediterranean Sea and Sardinia. The aircraft crossed the Italian coastline just South of Naples, flew North in the direction of Milan, and headed back West via Marseille to Toulouse. Here, she touched down at 4.21 pm local time after 6 hours 46 minutes.
At 9.01 pm local time, the XLR was airborne again as flight AIB02AB. The aircraft flew all the way to the North Pole and back and landed in Toulouse at 8.10 am on Thursday after a flight of 11 hours and nine minutes. A third flight was scheduled later on Thursday morning and lasted 10 hours and 24 minutes via the UK, Atlantic Ocean, and Canary Islands back to Toulouse.
Unlock the Full AirInsight Analysis & KPI Models
Get instant access to proprietary fleet valuation models, production & delivery forecasts, engine cost analytics, and the complete subscriber archive.
Not ready for a paid pass?
Create a free account
to access executive summaries and public market updates.
