Tag Archives: toulouse blagnac airport

Brussels Airlines unveils its new Tintin logo jet

Brussels Airlines (Brussels) has unveiled its new Tintin color scheme on the pictured Airbus A320-214 OO-SNB (msn 1493). The new logo jet made an appearance at the Airbus’ facilities at Toulouse, France yesterday (March 16).

Airbus issued this statement:

An Airbus A320 of Brussels Airlines with a special livery inspired by the Tintin comic book “Red Rackham’s treasure” landed on March 16 at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. The livery was unveiled at the airlines’ Brussels Airport home base in Belgium. The aircraft is named “Rackham” after one of Tintin’s most popular adventures.

The unique livery represents a great black shark, based on the shark shaped submarine invented by popular character Professeur Tournesol in the comic. The painting was carried out by aircraft paint artist Andre Eisele in Ostrava, Czech Republic and took 1,500 man hours in total. The special livery will remain until 2019.

Brussels Airlines is proud to be an ambassador taking Belgian culture around the world. The Tintin livery was developed with Moulinsart, who are custodians of Hergé’s oeuvre, the famous Belgian comic book artist who created Tintin.

Close-Ups below by Airbus:

Video: Brussels Airlines. Meet Rackham.

Brussels Airlines operates a fleet including 32 Airbus aircraft, 24 single-aisle aircraft and 8 A330s. The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single aisle product line with more than 11,500 orders to date and over 6,400 aircraft delivered.

Brussels Airlines aircraft slide show:

The first 242 ton Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW) version of the Airbus A330-300 flies today for the first time, will go to Delta Air Lines

Airbus (Toulouse) on January 12 issued this statement:

The newest evolution in Airbus’ market-leading widebody jetliner product line – the A330 with an increased 242-ton maximum takeoff weight capability – is another step closer to entering service later this year after its successful maiden flight.

Taking off from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport today (January 12), the A330-300 variant carried out an airborne evaluation that concluded with its return to the southwestern France location – which is home to Airbus headquarters and the A330 final assembly line.

During the flight, a five-person crew – comprised of Captain Thierry Bourges and First Officer Jean-Louis Rabilloud, along with flight test engineers Joan Andre and Gert Wunderlich and test flight engineer Alain Pourchet– checked the jetliner’s flight control system and validated its flight envelope. This activity kicked off the increased takeoff weight A330-300’s flight test campaign, which is to involve some 15 total hours aloft to confirm its new aerodynamic package and performance.

The increased maximum takeoff weight A330 results from Airbus’ focus on incremental innovation, and will further increase the cost-effectiveness and versatility for its popular twin-engine A330 product line. Operators will benefit from these jetliners’ additional range and fuel-burn reduction, resulting from a combination of improved engine performance and the aircraft’s enhanced aerodynamics.

The 242-ton A330-300 maximum takeoff weight variant launch customer is U.S.-based Delta Air Lines, which is scheduled to take delivery of its first aircraft in the second quarter of this year. The shorter-fuselage A330-200 in the 242-ton configuration is planned to enter commercial service in early 2016.

In addition to Delta Air Lines, eleven customers worldwide have already selected this option since the launch in November 2012.

Airbus’ latest A330 variant is the basis for the A330neo (new engine option) version – which will incorporate new Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 powerplants and aerodynamic improvements to provide unmatched operating economics, along with the latest in cabin technology.

Copyright Photo: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. Registered F-WWYY (msn 1628), the first flight is captured today at Toulouse.

Video: Airbus:

The first Airbus A320neo flies today for the first time

Airbus (Toulouse) today (September 25) flew for the first time its first A320neo (New Engine Option). The manufacturer issued this statement:

The first A320neo to fly lifted off at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport France today at 12 noon local time. The aircraft was flown by Airbus Experimental Test Pilots Philippe Pellerin and Etienne Miche de Malleray. Accompanying them in the cockpit were Test-Flight Engineer Jean-Paul Lambert. Monitoring the progress of the flight profile were the Flight-Test Engineers Manfred Birnfeld and Sandra Bour-Schaeffer.

This aircraft, A320-271N msn 6101 with the registration of F-WNEO, started assembly in March of this year, followed by roll-out in July. Since then, it has undergone various checks and ground tests in preparation for the first flight today.

Video:

Concorde F-WTSB arrives at its final resting spot at the Aeroscopia Museum in Toulouse

One of the first Concorde jetliners built at Toulouse, France has made its final “voyage” with the aircraft’s ground transfer to the Airbus-supported Aeroscopia Museum site at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. Designated as an Aerospatiale BAC Concorde 100 and registered as F-WTSB (msn 1), this Concorde made its last flight in April 1985, returning to Toulouse after a career that included a full range of test and development activity.

The Aeroscopia Museum where Concorde msn 1 will be permanently displayed has received funding from Airbus, and its collection will also include one of the initial A300s – the cornerstone widebody jetliner in Airbus’ product line – as well as the msn 1 flight test A400M military airlifter.

All photos by Airbus.

The first Airbus A350 XWB will fly on Friday

Airbus (Toulouse) has confirmed that the A350 XWB first flight is planned for this Friday, June 14, based on current visibility of the program and the flight test status. Weather conditions permitting, the A350 XWB msn 1 will take off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport at around 10:00 am local time.

The A350 XWB flight test teams are now carrying out the last checks on the A350 XWB “MSN1” before they give their final green light for the first flight to take place this Friday. Recent pre-first flight tests successfully carried out include the first power up of the fuel efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines on msn 1, which took place on June 2.

The A350 XWB is the all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. The new family will bring a step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category, using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. Scheduled for entry-into-service in second half of 2014, the A350 XWB has already won 613 firm orders from 33 customers worldwide.

Copyright Photo: Eurospot. Airbus A350-941 F-WXWB (msn 001) taxies at Toulouse yesterday (June 11) prior to the first flight on June 14.

Hot New Photos: