Airbus celebrated the first flight of its new A320neo Thursday at its facility in Toulouse, France. Powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM engines, the aircraft flew for 2.5 hours performing initial system checks and began the process of expanding the flight and performance envelope, reaching a maximum altitude of 26,500 feet. The airplane will also be offered with CFM International’s LEAP-1A engine as part of a drive to develop the most fuel-efficient aircraft possible. The design includes Sharklet winglets to improve range and efficiency. Airbus said the NEO promises innovative new cabin equipment, fixtures and seat designs, although the company’s release did not specify whether seating was going include the semi-standing, bicycle saddle-style seats for which Airbus recently filed a patent application.
In its announcement about the flight, Airbus said that the flight “kicks off Airbus’ NEO flight test and certification programme, which will include some 3000 flight hours across eight aircraft-a fleet comprising two A320neos, one A321neo and one A319neo for each engine type.” The test program is intended to lead to the A320neo’s entry into service with Qatar Airways in the fourth quarter of 2015. Airbus said that with the offered engine options, its NEO jets are to bring 15 percent fuel burn savings per seat by the time of entry into airline service, which, with additional enhancements, will increase to 20 percent by 2020. Airbus has received more than 3200 orders from 60 customers for the NEO family of jets.
