Airbus has begun final assembly of its first A330 with a new 242-metric-ton maximum takeoff-weight (mtow) capability at its factory in Toulouse, France, the company announced on Thursday. Now undergoing structural assembly before the cabin integration phase, the airplane will participate in certification flight trials, according to Airbus, while the company assembles a second aircraft for entry into service with launch customer Delta Air Lines during next year’s second quarter.

Launched in November 2012, the program introduces drag-reducing aerodynamic changes and engine improvements that, together, extend the A330’s range by 500 nautical miles and cut fuel consumption by up to 2 percent. With the improvements, the A330-300 could fly missions of up to 13 hours in duration, while the reach of the smaller A330-200 would extend to 15 hours. So far nine customers have chosen the option.

 “This newest, enhanced variant of our popular A330 is the basis for the future A330neo and is a concrete example of Airbus’s incremental innovation strategy in action,” said A330 program head Patrick Piedrafita. “Airlines operating the new 242-ton A330 will be able to carry additional payload on longer routes, while at the same time enjoying a high operational reliability of 99.4 percent.”

Now building 10 A330s per month, Airbus recently announced plans to cut production of the big twin to nine per month starting during next year’s fourth quarter in an effort to smooth the transition from today’s model to the A330neo, scheduled for first delivery in the fourth quarter of 2017.

“Our role as an aircraft manufacturer is to anticipate and adapt our output to ensure we continue to maintain a smooth production flow for Airbus and for our supply chain,” said Airbus executive vice president of programs Tom Williams. “With the recent commercial success we’ve seen following the launch of the A330neo, in addition to the new 242-ton weight variant and the A330 optimized for regional routes, we are confident we will sustain a steady production towards the A330neo ramp-up period.”