The first of seven ultra-long-range Airbus A350 XWB aircraft (www.airbus.com) being built for launch customer Singapore Airlines has rolled out of the paint shop in the carrier’s distinctive livery.

It will undergo testing before being delivered to the airline in the coming months. The airline will operate the air-craft on non-stop services from Singapore to the USA.

This includes flights between Singapore and New York, which will be the world’s longest commercial service, as well as on routes to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

This version of the A350-900 is the latest variant of the best-selling A350 XWB Family, with an extended range of up to 9,700 nautical miles.

This has been achieved by increasing the aircraft’s fuel-carrying capacity by 24,000 litres without the need for additional fuel tanks; with a maximum take-off weight of 280 tonnes, the aircraft can fly for over 20hr non-stop.

The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines; these latest technologies combine to give a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions, as well as significantly lower maintenance costs.

By the end of June, Airbus had taken a total of 882 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 46 customers world-wide.

Singapore Airlines is one of the largest customers for the A350 XWB Family, having ordered a total of 67 A350-900s, including the seven ultra-long-range models.