For the first time, Airbus´ newest aircraft, the A350-1000, landed at a Mexican airport. The aircraft registered F-WMIL took off on Wednesday, February 26th from Toulouse-Blagnac bound to Toluca International Airport and arrived at 21:55 UTC. The reason why Europe´s biggest manufacturer decided to fly to a remote airport located 50 miles south of Mexico City is that it will be a testing area for Airbus' team of engineers. It is expected that engineers will evaluate engine performance and efficiency in higher elevations. Toluca is located 8465 feet above sea level, which makes flying more difficult. Airbus wants to ensure the A350-1000's "hot and high" performance for other airports of a similar height.
It is important to point out that this is not the first time that Airbus has decided to test its aircraft at this airport in Mexico. On March 14, 2018, the second prototype of the A330neo landed to gather data related to the tests that took place that week on the A350. Similarly, the A320neo also flew to Toluca under the same course of action. After executing and gathering the pertinent information at Toluca, a common destination to continue with the tests is Merida in which aircraft are exposed to extreme weather conditions. This ensures the aircraft's viability at airports with harsher conditions and makes them more appealing to airlines that have "hot and high" routes. Mexico has become a very famous and well-known place for aircraft testing given its ability to expose brand new designs into extreme conditions. With Mexico City being the largest city in North America and at an elevation at 7382 feet, the area is a prime spot to sell Airbus jets.
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