Airbus A320neo Programme On-Track for First Flight in Q4 2014

Airbus has started final assembly of the first A320neo at its final assembly line in Toulouse, France, with the join-up of the forward and aft fuselage sections which recently arrived from St. Nazaire in France and Hamburg in Germany respectively.

Once this phase is completed, the next stage is the wing to fuselage join-up.

Overall it takes about one month to complete the final assembly of an A320 Family aircraft.

On average, every seven hours an A320 Family aircraft leaves one of the three A320 Family final assembly line’s in Toulouse, Hamburg, or Tianjin.

The A320neo first flight will take place in Q4 2014 and first delivery in Q4 2015.

The A320neo “new engine option” incorporates many innovations, including latest generation engines and large Sharklet wing-tip devices, which Airbus says together deliver 15% in fuel savings and a reduction of 3,600 tonnes of C02 per aircraft per year.