The fifth and final Airbus A380 test aircraft made its maiden flight Friday from the company's base near Toulouse, southwestern France, powered by engines from Engine Alliance, a joint venture of General Electric and Pratt and Whitney.
The flight lasted four hours and 10 minutes and concluded without incident, despite overcast and rainy conditions. The other four A380 test aircraft use Rolls Royce engines and have accumulated more than 1,800 hours across over 575 flights.
Airbus marketing official Richard Carcaillet said the flight confirms that engine competition for the aircraft is now in place. Of 82 firm orders received so far, six customers have selected the Engine Alliance option.
Passenger test flights are scheduled for 4 to 7 September, with nearly 2,000 Airbus employees selected from a pool of 15,000 volunteers taking part to evaluate cabin comfort on the world's largest commercial airliner.
The A380 program has faced turbulence in recent months after Airbus disclosed delivery delays in mid-June, triggering a sharp drop in the share price of parent company EADS and prompting leadership changes at both firms.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in August 2006, in its own words.