The wing-fuselage junction, the installation of the tailplane and also the tailcone of an Air Mauritius A350 XWB have been completed at Airbus’s Final Assembly Line in Toulouse (www.airbus.com), France.

The aircraft is now in the next assembly station for structural completion, which includes the installation of winglets, as well as the ground testing of mechanical, electrical and avionics systems.

The steps following will include cabin completion, engine installation, painting and flight tests. This will lead to the delivery — scheduled for Q4 2017 — of the first A350-900 to Air Mauritius, which will acquire a total of six A350-900 twin-engine wide-body aircraft (four directly purchased from Airbus and two on lease from AerCap).

The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic designs, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines.

Together, these latest technologies translate into a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions, as well as significantly lower maintenance costs. To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 831 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 44 customers world-wide, making it one of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever.