Sunday 16 June 2013

All eyes on the sky for A350 maiden flight

Although the energy level of our French Aerospace Coatings colleagues in Blagnac will be higher than ever before, it might be difficult to get hold of them this morning as Airbus’ newest passenger plane will make its maiden flight today, Friday 14 June. Weather conditions permitting, the A350 XWB “MSN1” will take off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport around 10:00am CET. Coffee and croissants outside – don’t forget your sunglasses to protect against reflection of the sun from the ‘mirror finish’ of the livery!

AkzoNobel’s Aerobase Base Coat/Clear Coat system decorates the first A350. Although we are all convinced about the leading performance of the reliable Base Coat/Clear Coat systems, all colleagues are extremely proud that Airbus selected our paint system and vibrant colors to show the first flying Airbus A350 to the world.

As part of the on-going commitment for a “greener” environment, Airbus selected the Base Coat/Clear Coat paint system as it requires less paint and reduces the amount of solvents released. The system offers much quicker and simpler application for complex liveries with different colors; the base coat dries in two hours and only needs one coat instead of two or three. The eco-efficient painting process also means that less detergent will be needed when washing the aircraft. These savings are a great endorsement of AkzoNobel’s continued commitment to delivering sustainable solutions to customers worldwide.

Qatar Airways shall take delivery of the first commercially flying A350 in 2014. The A350 XWB has already won 613 firm orders from 33 customers worldwide. With the Paris Air Show beginning in less than a week, Airbus expects to receive many additional orders. Good to know that the Aerobase Base Coat/Clear Coat is the only system specified by Airbus for painting the A350 aircraft.

For live coverage of the inaugural flight, connect to: http://www.a350xwbfirstflight.com/

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