Maiden Airbus A320 Neo Flight Is A Success

A320neo first flight crew after landing: With the successful first flight of MSN6101 on 25 September 2014, Airbus has commenced its nearly 3,000-hour flight test and certification campaign for the NEO Family, which includes fleet of eight test aircraft


Airbus 320 Neo is one of the most-anticipated new aircraft currently. With well over 3,200 orders from over 60 airlines, the Airbus 320 Neo family is expected to make the flying experience greener, quieter as well as more economic—thanks to greater fuel efficiency. Slated for the first commercial flight in the fourth quarter of 2015 with Qatar Airways, the Airbus A320 Neo completed the very first test flight last week.

The first test flight took off from Toulouse in France and flew for more than two hours going through the regulatory set of banks and pitches before returning to the ground at around 2:22 PM local time. The aim of the test flight was to explore the flight envelope and get a first-hand feedback on the system operations, while the on-ground crew kept a keen eye on the happenings via a telemetry link. Experimental Test Pilots Philippe Pellerin and Etienne Miche de Malleray flew the plane. The first flight was powered by the Pratt & Whittney PW 1100G-JM engines as far as the configuration goes.

Airbus President and CEO Fabrice Brégier said: “I congratulate the whole A320neo development team, ground crew and air crew for making this day happen. The A320neo, which has taken to the air today, builds on the outstanding success of the A320 Family. The aircraft through its incremental innovations combines the most efficient engine and aerodynamic technologies, as well as new cabin features to bring to market a product which will consume 20 percent less fuel per passenger.”

This maiden flight marks the beginning of a rigorous flight and on-ground testing of the aircraft, both with the P&W and the CFM Leap 1A turbofan engines. The Airbus A320 Neo family consists of the A319 Neo, A320 Neo and the A321 Neo with the seating capacity of 160,189 and 2240 passengers.