The test is a key step towards European safety certification which industry sources expect in late August or early September.

Airbus plans to deliver its first carbon-composite jetliner to Qatar Airways by the end of the year.

The braking trial is one of the costliest tests in the certification process and involves directing maximum energy to a set of worn-out brakes, causing an orange glow and smoke as the brakes reach a temperature of 1,400 degrees Celsius.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; editing by Jason Neely)