The first Airbus A330neo is starting to take shape, a year after the launch of the programme, celebrated with the first 'metal cutting' underway at its facilities in Toulouse and Nantes. Machining of the first engine pylon started during that summer in Saint-Eloi (Toulouse), while the Airbus plant in Nantes started production of the first wing box of the A330neo.

The central box of the wing produced in Nantes uses an innovative design called Isogrid that contains 330 triangular pockets that allows to meet all our requirements of rigidity, resistance and low weight. The new pylon produced in Saint-Eloi is a key element in the innovative design of the A330neo, it is responsible for the perfect coupling made with the new latest generation engine that will power the aircraft, the RR Trent 7000. Made in titanium, the pylon of the A330neo uses cutting-edge aerodynamics, materials and design technologies derived from the A350 XWB. The A330neo pylon will be fitted with a new A350XWB-inspired fairing made from composite materials and titanium to ensure the model's optimized aerodynamics.

The A330-800neo and A330-900neo are two new members of Airbus' WideBody family, with first deliveries scheduled to start in Q4 2017. The A330neo incorporates the latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, aerodynamic improvements and new cabin. The A330neo reduces fuel consumption by 14% per seat compared to the previous model, making it more efficient. In addition to greater fuel economy, the A330neo also benefits from an increase in range of around 400 nautical miles and, of course, all the advantages of operational standardization of the Airbus family.