Singapore Airlines’ first A350 XWB takes to the sky

The first A350-900 for Singapore Airlines yesterday completed its maiden flight over the skies of South West France. The aircraft, featuring the airline’s iconic livery, will now enter the final phase of production, including further ground checks and test flights, before being prepared for delivery in the coming weeks.
The all-new A350 XWB will form the backbone of Singapore Airlines’ future mid-size widebody fleet. Altogether the airline has ordered 67 A350-900s which will be operated on long range flights, as well as on selected regional services. Seven of the aircraft will be delivered with an ultra-long range capability for flights of up to 19 hours, allowing the carrier to resume non-stop flights to the US. 
The A350 XWB is the world’s latest generation airliner and the newest member of Airbus’ modern, comfortable & efficient widebody product family. It features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fiber fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. 
To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 777 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 41 customers worldwide, already making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.