TAM's first Airbus A350-900 has rolled out of the paint shop in Toulouse, ahead of the aircraft's delivery to the Brazilian carrier in December.
The aircraft will have its engines installed next, as well as cabin furnishing and cockpit fitting, says Airbus. These will be followed by ground and flight tests. The first A350 for TAM is registered PR-XTA, Flightglobal's Ascend Fleets shows.
TAM, which has ordered for 27 A350-900s, will be the first airline in the Americas to fly the type. It will be the fourth A350 operator in the world, after Qatar Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Finnair.
TAM has said it will operate its first A350 between Sao Paulo Guarulhos and Manaus in January 2016, followed by service from Sao Paulo to Miami in March and to Madrid a month later.
The airline's A350s are configured with 348 seats - 30 in business class, and 318 in economy. While TAM's first A350 sports its signature red and white livery, the airline's parent LATAM Airlines Group is expected to unveil a new livery for its airlines LAN and TAM early next year, after announcing a new branding in August.
Source: Cirium Dashboard