Airbus formally opened the A350XWB Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse, France, on October 23. The line inside the 74,000m2 (796,240sq ft) building was inaugurated by the French Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, and Roger Beteille, after which it is named. Mr Beteille was one of the key players in the formation of the original Airbus consortium, earning himself the nickname 'Mister Airbus'. Airbus insists the A350 programme, which has been beset by delays caused by re-designs and, more recently, problems with automatic wing-drilling, is now on track (see Three Fifty Takes Shape, September, p80).
展开▼
