Airbus flew the third and final A350-1000 prototype on its first mission on Tuesday, marking the latest milestone in a program scheduled to accumulate 1,600 flight hours over a 10-month period until the largest A350 XWB variant gains expected certification during the second half of this year.
Equipped with a full passenger interior, the third airplane, MSN065, will evaluate cabin systems and, later, perform “early long flights” and route proving.

First flight of MSN065 comes only two and a half months after the first A350-1000, MSN059, flew for the first time from Toulouse Blagnac Airport in France. The main flight-test duties for the first airplane, MSN059, involve exploration of the flight envelope, handling qualities, loads and braking, while the second aircraft to fly, MSN071, evaluates braking, powerplant, systems and autopilot performance.

The largest of the new three-member family of composite-bodied airliners, the A350-1000 measures some 240 feet long and carries 366 passengers in a typical three-class configuration. Powered exclusively by 97,000-pound-thrust Rolls-Royce Trent XWB 97 turbofans, it flies to a range of 7,950 nautical miles, allowing it to support routes for emerging markets such as Shanghai-Boston or Paris-Santiago (Chile), as well as more traditional flight segments as Manchester (UK)-Los Angeles or Dubai-Melbourne.