Airbus flies its first sharklet-equipped A321

Airbus has performed its first flight of the sharklet-equipped A321 as it begins its test campaign of the wing-tip modification on the A321. The A321 is the largest member of its narrow-body family. The aircraft performed its first ferry flight from Airbus's Hamburg facility to its main plant in Toulouse on October 23. Flight testing on the modified A320 has been completed. In November, Airbus will begin its tests on the CFM International CFM56-powered variant certified by EASA. Airbus will begin its test on the International Aero Engines V2500-powered A320 in December. The air framer expects certification of the fuel-saving modification on the A321 in mid-2013, with the smaller A319 following later next year. The approximate cost of the A321 will be around U.S.$113.3 million. The launch customer of the plane will be ILFC.