Frankfurt Airport awaits arrival of the new Airbus A350 XWB aircraft

On the evening of Friday, July 25, an Airbus A350 XWB (extra wide body) will land at Frankfurt Airport for the first time. This Airbus test aircraft, which has been visiting various airports around the world to probe handling processes for the new jet, is expected to arrive around 19:00 from Iqualit (YFB) on Baffin Island in the Nunavut territory of Canada’s eastern Arctic. The A350 XWB will depart the following day (July 26) at about 14:00 to the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France.

Peter Schmitz, Fraport AG’s executive board member for operations (COO) explained the importance of the A350 XWB test visit: “Frankfurt Airport has always prepared itself early for next-generation planes by working closely and constructively with the aircraft manufacturers and airlines.” Already in the 1970s when FRA’s Terminal 1 was first being constructed, Frankfurt further expanded the terminal to serve as an ideal hub for the Boeing 747 jumbo. With the introduction of the A380 superjumbo, Fraport AG was actively involved in the first airport ground-handling tests in 2005 and the subsequent route-proving flights for the world’s largest passenger airliner – all conducted via Frankfurt Airport.

“Size is not what makes the A350 so special – rather, it is the increased efficiency. In particular, we will benefit from the latest technology that is being implemented with this aircraft type. The significant reduction in noise emissions, which the A350 brings, will help contribute to quieter flying at Frankfurt,” stressed Schmitz, who applauded Lufthansa’s decision to purchase 25 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft.

Compared to the current generation of twin-engine long-haul wide-body jets, the A350 XWB requires up to 25 percent less fuel and is substantially quieter. More information about the Airbus A350 is available via the Internet.

Aviation fans interested in witnessing the first landing of the A350 at Frankfurt can access the Visitors’ Terrace at Terminal 2, which will stay open longer on Friday evening. For more details about the FRA Visitors’ Terrace, visit Frankfurt Airport’s Web site on the Internet.

Fraport AG and Frankfurt Airport
Fraport AG – which ranks among the world’s leading companies in the global airport business – offers a full range of integrated airport management services. Boasting subsidiaries and investments on four continents, In 2013, the Fraport Group generated sales of €2.56 billion, EBITDA of €880.2 million and a profit of about €236 million. Last year, more than 103 million passengers used airports arround the world in which Fraport has a majority stake.

At its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) home base, Fraport welcomed more than 58 million passengers in 2013 and handled some 2.1 million metric tons of cargo (airfreight and airmail). For the current flight timetable, FRA is served by 108 passenger airlines flying to some 295
destinations in 105 countries worldwide. More than half of FRA’s destinations are intercontinental (beyond Europe) – underscoring Frankfurt’s role as a leading hub in the global air transportation system. In Europe, Frankfurt Airport ranks first in terms of cargo tonnage and is the third-busiest for passenger traffic. With well over 50 percent of all passengers using Frankfurt as a connecting hub, FRA also has the highest transfer rate among the major European hubs.
Frankfurt Airport City has become Germany’s largest job complex at a single location, employing more than 78,000 people at about 500 companies and organizations directly on site. The FRA Airport City also serves as a magnet for other companies located throughout the economically vital Frankfurt/Rhine-Main-Neckar region. Thanks to synergies associated with the region’s dynamic and diverse industries, plus networked expertise and outstanding intermodal transportation infrastructure,

Frankfurt Airport meets the increasing needs of the flourishing export-oriented economies of the State of Hesse as well as Germany as a whole, for optimal connections to growth markets around the globe. Likewise, FRA is also a strategic gateway for companies wanting to access the huge European marketplace. Thus, Frankfurt Airport – which is strategically located in the heart of Europe, is one of the most important hubs in the world and a major infrastructure site for Germany and Europe.

Major new real estate developments – such as The Squaire, the Gateway Gardens business park, and the Mönchhof Logistics Park, etc. – are creating an exciting new dimension and range of services at the evolving Frankfurt Airport City of the 21st century.