By Tim Hepher
PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus (PA:AIR) is conducting the final stage of ground trials as it edges towards the keenly-awaited first flight of its revamped A320neo aircraft, the planemaker said on Tuesday.
The first test aircraft is on the "final run-in" towards its maiden flight, a spokesman said in answer to a query, but added it was too early to predict an exact date.
Airbus is sticking to its target for a first flight in the third quarter, or by the end of September, the spokesman said.
Maiden flights need good weather and are usually announced just a few days before they are expected to happen.
Industry sources have said the flight was tentatively planned in early September, but had to be pushed back because of a problem with engine testing, raising some concerns that the flight could slip to October.
Airbus and its engine maker Pratt & Whitney have declined to comment on the precise schedule, but analysts are paying close attention because the success of the new fuel-saving version of Airbus's best-selling A320 jet depends in part on new engine technology to fulfil a backlog of 3,000 orders from airlines.
Another person familiar with the matter said preparations had been disrupted by a problem with a bird strike test.
The test, in which bird carcasses are fired at an engine to test its ability to withstand a potentially dangerous bird strike, is one of several key steps towards certification.
Pratt & Whitney declined to comment on the test.
"We routinely test our engines and we do not share specifics of our test results," a spokeswoman for the United Technologies (N:UTX) subsidiary said.
The first flight of the A320neo is one of several important milestones expected for Airbus this month including the final safety certification of its latest long-haul jet, the A350.
Simultaneous European and U.S. safety approval is expected around the end of the month, allowing Europe's first mainly carbon-composite jetliner to be delivered to launch customer Qatar Airways in the following weeks, subject to final checks.
The Gulf carrier, which has a reputation for stringent attention to detail, is expected to submit the jet to a rigorous inspection after earlier refusing to take its first A380 superjumbo in a standoff that has lasted more than three months.
Industry sources said last week the airline had agreed to take the first of 10 A380s it has ordered after the two sides resolved a dispute over quality of cabin work.
Qatar Airways has begun taking bookings for A380 services from Doha to London starting from Oct. 10, according to the airline's website, replacing one of its Airbus A340 jets and adding to expanding superjumbo services at Heathrow, which according to Aviation Week already handles about 15 A380s a day.
(Editing by Mark Potter)