Airbus has delivered the aft fuselage for the A350 XWB static test airframe to the final assembly line in Toulouse (France). This final section of the fuselage will be assembled with the front and centre fuselage sections which were joined up in early April.

Assembled at Airbus' site in Hamburg (Germany), the 20 metre long carbon fibre aft fuselage is made up of the rear fuselage barrel, produced at Airbus' Getafe plant (Spain), two lateral aft fuselage panels made by Premium AEROTEC (Germany) plus the upper and lower aft fuselage panels manufactured by Airbus in Stade (Germany).

This first A350 XWB airframe will be used for the static structural tests that all new aircraft undergo as part of their certification process. The assembly of the first flying A350 XWB, MSN1, will start during summer.