Airbus A320neo takes to the skies for the first time

The first A320neo to light lifted off at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport France at 12 noon local time.

The aircraft is flown by Airbus Experimental Test Pilots Philippe Pellerin and Etienne Miche de Malleray. Accompanying them in the cockpit are Test-Flight Engineer Jean-Paul Lambert.

Monitoring the progress of the flight profile are the Flight-Test Engineers Manfred Birnfeld and Sandra Bour-Schaeffer.

This aircraft, MSN6101 with registration F-WNEO, started assembly in March of this year, followed by roll-out in July.

Since then, it has undergone various checks and ground tests in preparation for the first flight today.