Assembly of the main airframe sections of the first A350 XWB for China Airlines is advancing at Airbus’ Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France. This involves the assembly of the wing-fuselage junction, the installation of the tailplane and also the tailcone.

The aircraft will then be moved to the next assembly station for structural completion, ground testing of mechanical, electrical and avionics systems, and then the start of cabin installation. First delivery of Airbus’ latest generation widebody airliner to China Airlines is scheduled in Q3 2016.

China Airlines has 14 A350-900 twin engine widebodies on order. The aircraft will be deployed on the carrier’s long-haul routes to Europe, Australia and the US, as well as on selected regional routes. China Airlines currently operates 24 A330s and six A340s on regional and long haul services.

To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 777 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 41 customers worldwide, already making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever