Maiden Flight Airbus A330-800

In the first week of November 2018, Airbus successfully completed the first flight of its A330-800 aircraft. The aircraft MSN1888 took off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport at around 10.30AM and landed after about four hours. The A330-800 is the smaller version of the re-engined A330neo series. The A330neo programme was announced in 2014 and the first aircraft of the series, the A330-900 undertook its maiden flight in 2017. The first A330neo is expected to be delivered to TAP Portugal before the end of 2018. The completion of the first flight will kicked off the test programme for the A330-800 which will consist of around 300 hours of flight testing, with certification of the aircraft planned for 2019. Guillaume Faury, President, Airbus Commercial Aircraft said, “Today’s first flight of the A330-800 is the latest addition to our efficient wide body family. The A330-800 is an exceptionally versatile route-opener offering unbeatable economics for airlines It encompasses everything from short to very-long haul wide body missions. We look forward to the successful flight-test campaign, leading to certification next year.”