Airbus A350-900 completes first flight with Michelin tires

Clermont-Ferrand, France – Michelin Aircraft Tire announced on 22 Dec that the first flight of the new Airbus A350-900 aircraft was completed with MICHELIN Radial NZG Technology tires.

Airbus has delivered the first A350 XWB to its launch operator Qatar Airways equipped with Michelin Air X tires with Radial NZG Technology.

“The Xtra Wide Body commercial jet made primarily of composite materials achieved its first ferry flight from Toulouse (France) to Doha (Qatar) on 22 Dec,” said the announcement.

According to the manufacturer, 70 percent of the A350 XWB is made from lighter-weight advanced materials, including composites (53 percent), titanium and new generation aluminium alloys. These are primarily built into the aircraft’s main structural components such as the wings and fuselage. In this way, composite and carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials serve to reduce weight and thereby lower fuel consumption by 25 percent as well as reducing the maintenance cost of the aircraft.

Compared to an equivalent radial nylon tire, the new Michelin Radial NZG Technology tire is lighter, delivers up to 30% more landings, improves foreign objects damage resistance leading to a reduction in unscheduled maintenance and increases the tire load carrying capacity,” said Frank Moreau, Michelin Aircraft Tire Company’s president.