The very first Air India A350-900 has performed its maiden flight in the skies above Southern France. On August 4th, F-WZFZ took off from Toulouse at 10:14 for a 2hr 52 minute flight over the Bay of Biscay, La Rochelle, and Bordeaux. The aircraft landed back in Toulouse at 13:06.

Plane Spotters quickly noticed that the aircraft was yet to be painted into Air India colors. At the moment, the A350 is still sporting a completely white paint job. When sanctions kicked in, this Aeroflot bound aircraft was passed on to Air India. F-WZFZ is only one of 250 Airbus aircraft ordered by the airline. Air India’s order includes 140 A320neos, 70 A321neos, 6 A350-900s, and 34 A350-1000s.

Air India currently expects all 6 brand new A350-900s to be operating for the airline by the end of 2023. However, as the aircraft were once destined for Aeroflot, they will arrive with the Russian airline’s interior. It will take some time to reconfigure all 6 A350s.