TAM’s first A350 XWB takes shape

The first A350-900 for TAM Airlines is progressing well in the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France, with joining of the wings, the horizontal and vertical tail plane, the main landing gear and the tail cone to the fuselage.

The A350 XWB is made of 70 percent advanced materials, including 53 percent composites, and incorporates the latest innovations, providing extra efficiency for airlines.

In particular, the wings have been designed to adapt during the flight, morphing while airborne, changing their shape for maximum aerodynamic efficiency throughout the various phases of flight. This contributes to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by 25 percent compared to previous generation competing aircraft.

TAM will be the first airline in the Americas to fly the A350 XWB and the fourth operator in the world overall. Delivery of TAM’s first A350 XWB is scheduled for the end of this year. TAM has a total of 27 A350 XWB on order.

The A350 XWB is the latest addition to the market-leading Airbus widebody product line. Offering customers a game-changing reduction in fuel-burn, the all-new mid-size long-range A350 XWB has carbon fibre fuselage and wings and sets new standards in terms of passenger comfort, operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

By the end of April 2015, the A350 XWB has won 780 orders from 40 customers worldwide.

Airbus