TAP Portugal gives early look at brand-new Airbus…

MIAMI Airbus’ newest jet, the A330neo, visited Miami on Saturday. It marked the first U.S. visit for the jet, which is now flying in a series of globe-trotting flights that will cap off a brisk, year-long test flight program for the A330neo.

The first models of the type are expected to be delivered this fall.

The test aircraft, painted in the livery of launch customer TAP Portugal and almost completely configured with the airline’s newest cabin update, flew in from the airline’s Lisbon headquarters earlier in the day.

The flight is part of a series of flights known as “route-proving” required to show regulators the aircraft will be able to perform to the specifications Airbus has claimed. The flights test everything from fuel consumption to air flow in the cabin, meal services to baggage loading. Those types of items are generally considered among the last boxes to check in a new jet’s test-flight program.

Airbus says it has 150 hours of such flights coming up, split into three stages. The first hadalready seen the jet visit Brazil earlier in the week, with Miami as the final stop before returning to Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France. Future stages will see the jet fly routes as long as Toulouse to Mauritius (5,670 miles)and as short as Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta (699 miles). The aircraft will also return to the U.S., visiting both Atlanta and Chicago.

MEANWHILE, THE A350 …: Behind-the-scenes photos of Airbus’ A350 assembly line (story continues below)

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Two A350s make their way through Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A China Airlines A350 is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Visitors to Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, are treated to this large A350 replica.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Part of a tail section awaits assembly in this floor shot from Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A floor shot of Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, is not open to the public. But visitors lucky enough to gain access — a media tour, in this case — can read about the assembly line process on these signs.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Signage at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, tells visitors some of what they’re seeing at the facility near Toulouse, France.  Fullscreen An A350 makes its way through Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A close-up shot of work being performed on an A350 at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen An A350 fuselage is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A floor shot of Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen An arrow points the way for visitors at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Signage at Airbus’ A350 facility near Toulouse, France, shows visitors where parts of the plane are made before coming here for final assembly.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Signage at Airbus’ A350 facility near Toulouse, France, shows visitors where parts of the plane are made before coming here for final assembly.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen The tail of a China Airlines A350 is seen at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A close-up shot of work being performed on an A350 at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A China Airlines A350 is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A floor shot of Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A wing stands ready to be added to the next fuselage to come through at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen In the foreground, two A350-900s make their way through Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016. An A350-1000 is seen in the very far background.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A wing section awaits assembly at this station on Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen An A350 is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A fuselage is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A fuselage is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A floor shot of Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A floor shot of Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A China Airlines A350 is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A China Airlines A350 is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen An A350 is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Airbus hopes to ramp up A350 production to 10 per month by the end of 2018. Seen here is Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A China Airlines A350 is seen at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen The tail of a Thai Airways A350 pokes above a viewing platform at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen One of the main pedestrian corridors is seen at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen This isn’t part of the final assembly line for the A350, but this “Mock Up Center” is an important destination for airline customers buying the A350 and other Airbus planes.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen At the Mock Up Centre, airline executives can walk-through life-size models of aircraft as they decide design features like seating configuration and cabin layout.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Here, the outside of the A350 mock-up model is seen at the Mock Up Centre. Photos are not allowed inside the model.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen More life-size aircraft cabin models at Airbus’ Mock Up Centre near Tourlouse, France.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Looking out from the Mock Up Centre, more of Airbus’ headquarters campus is seen here on Oct. 13, 2016, near Toulouse , France.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen Perhaps unsurprisingly, an airline motif is used for some walkways within Airbus’ headquarters near Toulouse, France.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreen A fuselage is worked on at Airbus’ A350 final assembly line near Toulouse, France, on Oct. 13, 2016.  Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAYFullscreenLike this topic? You may also like these photo galleries:Replay1 of 402 of 403 of 404 of 405 of 406 of 407 of 408 of 409 of 4010 of 4011 of 4012 of 4013 of 4014 of 4015 of 4016 of 4017 of 4018 of 4019 of 40