Countdown to A330neo EIS

Having just received its EASA Type Certificate, the A330neo has passed another key milestones on the road to Entry Into Service.

To achieve the Type Certificate the aircraft had to undergo a number of external flight test campaigns including:

• Cold Weather campaign in Astana (Kazakhstan) with outside temperature down to -28°C
• Natural Icing campaign in Milwaukee (USA)
• Hot Weather campaign in Merida (Mexico) with outside temperature up to 37°C
• High altitude campaign in Cochabamba (Bolivia) at 8300ft
• External noise campaign in Moron (Spain)

One key test to achieve certification is the Function & Reliability (F&R) test where the aircraft must complete 150 Flight Test Hours during three trips covering all corners of the globe. The testing covers routine operations that simulate an airline’s daily operation as well as some simulation of abnormal conditions and Extended Twin-engine Operations (ETOPS) missions.

The testing was performed with global launch operator TAP Air Portugal’s A330neo fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent7000 engines and the Airspace customer cabin installed. The first of the three trips saw the aircraft visit Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport (GIG) and Recife International Airport (REC). This trip marked the A330neo’s first time in Brazil and happened to coincide with Brazil’s second match in the World Cup against Costa Rica.

For more information contact:

Paul Moultrie
Head of Marketing – Airbus Latin America and the Caribbean
paul.moultrie@airbus.com