Airbus A340-500 achieves certification

The A340-500, of which Emirates Airline has firm order for six, with deliveries to start next year, has a shorter fuselage and a longer range than the A340-600 which received its type certificate in May 2002.

Since its maiden flight on 11th February 2002, the A340-500 successfully completed some 400 flight hours in more than 150 flights in a certification campaign which involved two test aircraft and focused on the A340-500's own particular geometry and configuration. Following the example set by its sibling, the A340-600, the A340-500 flight test results have fully met and, in some cases, significantly exceeded customers' expectations.

"This major milestone marks the completion of our market-leading long-range family, which has won 55 per cent of all sales in its category," said Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer Noël Forgeard. "With the longest range in the world, the A340-500 offers a new and relaxing flight experience to passengers seeking to travel non stop between distant city pairs without the inconvenience of an intermediate stop."

The A340-500 and -600 are members of Airbus' market leading A330/A340 Family, which has won almost 750 firm orders from over 60 customers to date.

A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line on the market, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China and Japan. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE SYSTEMS.