The first A320neo to fly has landed back at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport France at 02:22 pm local time after successfully completing its first flight which lasted around two and a half hours. The aircraft – carrying the registration F-WNEO – was flown by Airbus experimental test pilots Philippe Pellerin and Etienne Miche de Malleray. Accompanying them

Success has trumped the severe skepticism that greeted the nascent Airbus and its offerings. A version of this article appears in the August 4 edition of Aviation Week & Space Technology. Contrary to what most public relations firms recommend, Airbus has chosen to downplay the debut of the A320neo (New Engine Option). No official ceremony

Par ailleurs, Fabrice Brégier annonce que le premier vol de l’A320neo, version remotorisée de l’avion monocouloir, devrait avoir lieu en septembre 2014 et les premières livraisons en octobre 2015. Porter la production de 42 à 46 avions par mois en 2016 permettrait d’avoir une marge de manoeuvre pour progresser encore. « Mais notre stratégie chez Airbus