Bregier: Airbus Confident of A350 XWB Delivery Goal for 2015

Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier remains confident that the European aircraft manufacturer will achieve its goal to deliver around 15 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft this year.

"If we reach this target, I think we have secured a strong foundation for the future ramp-up of A350 production. It is always extremely difficult to produce an aircraft that is just certified," Bregier said.

Total orders for the A350 XWB program stand at 782 orders from 40 customers.

Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders said that along with the Middle East and Asia, North America offers good market opportunities for the A350, as well for the A330neo.

Currently three North American customers have orders for a total of 82 A350 XWBs.

Finnair will take delivery of its first A350-900 on Oct. 7. The A350 XWB European launch customer has 19 of the type on firm order, to be received from 2015-2023, and will become the third carrier after Qatar Airways and Vietnam Airlines to operate the the aircraft.

Meanwhile, Airbus began fuselage assembly of the largest member of the A350 family, the A350-1000, at its Hamburg and Saint-Nazaire plants. Final assembly of the aircraft will begin in Toulouse in early 2016, followed by the first flight in the second half of the year. First deliveries are scheduled to start mid-2017.