News
A350ULR completes maiden flight
April 27th 2018
The Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range) performed its maiden flight on Monday, kicking off a brief flight test programme ahead of first delivery to launch and thus far only customer, Singapore Airlines (SIA), in the second half of the year. Read More »
The aircraft, MSN216, will be the only ULR involved in the test programme aimed at certifying the changes over the standard A350-900, which include extending the aircraft’s range from 8,100nm to 9,700nm and raising the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) from 275 tons to 280 tons. These improvements were made possible by modifications to the fuel system, increasing the ULR’s fuel carrying capacity by 24,000 litres (from 141,000 to 165,000 litres), without the need for additional tanks. Moreover, the airframer has made a number of aerodynamic improvements on the ULR, including extended winglets, which will become standard also on the standard A350-900.
Airbus says the ULR “will be able to fly further than any other commercial airliner”, up to 20 hours nonstop.
SIA is the only airline to have ordered the ULR. The Singapore legacy carrier has seven of the type in its books, in addition to 60 ‘regular’ A350-900s, of which 21 have been delivered to date.
SIA will fly the ULRs on nonstop high-premium-count flights from its hub at Singapore’s Changi Airport to New York and possibly Los Angeles, routes previously suspended due to high fuel costs associated with flying fuel-guzzling A340-500 quad jets.
Through to March 31, Airbus had recorded a total of 854 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 45 customers worldwide.
The ULR competes with Boeing’s future B777-8X and current B787-9. Australia’s Qantas Airways is currently evaluating all three types for nonstop flights from Australia’s Eastern seaboard to both Europe and the U.S. East Coast.
