TOULOUSE, France (Dec. 29, 2014) — The maiden flight of the Airbus A350-900 “Xtra Wide Body” commercial jet was carried out recently with the help of Michelin Air X tires with Radial NZG technology.
The extra wide body commercial jet, made primarily of composite materials, made its maiden flight on Dec. 22 from Toulouse to Doha, Qatar, where Qatar Airways took delivery.
More than two-thirds of the A350 XWB is made from lighter-weight advanced materials, including composites, titanium and new generation aluminum alloys, Michelin said, used in the plane's main structural components such as the wings and fuselage.
The reduced weight is designed to help lower fuel consumption by 25 percent.
Michelin said its NZG technology radials contribute to the weight savings — eight of the new generation tires can carry the same load as nine standard radials — and reduced operating costs by delivering up to 30 percent more landings.
Additionally the NZG technology offers improved puncture resistance, leading theoretically to a reduction in unscheduled maintenance.