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| Airbus A350 set for maiden flight | Airbus A350 set for maiden flight |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The newest aircraft from European planemaker Airbus is due to take off on its maiden flight later. | The newest aircraft from European planemaker Airbus is due to take off on its maiden flight later. |
| The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. | The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. |
| It is seen as vital to the future of Airbus, which competes with Boeing to supply the majority of the world's airlines with new planes. | It is seen as vital to the future of Airbus, which competes with Boeing to supply the majority of the world's airlines with new planes. |
| It is due to take off from the French city of Toulouse, where the A350 is assembled, on Friday morning. | It is due to take off from the French city of Toulouse, where the A350 is assembled, on Friday morning. |
| The plane will take a short trip to carry out tests, and then land back at Toulouse again. | |
| Boeing's Dreamliner has proved popular since its first flight in 2009, despite recently being grounded by regulators over safety fears relating to its batteries. | |
| Major milestone | Major milestone |
| Airlines are being squeezed by high fuel costs and falling passenger numbers, and are looking for more fuel-efficient aircraft. | Airlines are being squeezed by high fuel costs and falling passenger numbers, and are looking for more fuel-efficient aircraft. |
| Like the Dreamliner, the A350 is made largely of advanced materials, particularly carbon composites, in order to save weight. | Like the Dreamliner, the A350 is made largely of advanced materials, particularly carbon composites, in order to save weight. |
| Airbus has already taken more than 600 orders for the new plane. But that still puts it behind the Dreamliner, which has 890 orders so far. | Airbus has already taken more than 600 orders for the new plane. But that still puts it behind the Dreamliner, which has 890 orders so far. |
| The company hopes to start delivering the first A350s to customers by the end of 2014. | The company hopes to start delivering the first A350s to customers by the end of 2014. |
| Analysts say a successful test flight would be a major milestone for Airbus in the A350 project, with major aircraft manufacturing projects frequently beset by delays. | Analysts say a successful test flight would be a major milestone for Airbus in the A350 project, with major aircraft manufacturing projects frequently beset by delays. |
| "All recent programmes before it, both by Airbus, Boeing and others, have had reasonably horrendous technical problems and delays," said Nick Cunningham, an aviation analyst at the London-based Agency Partners, speaking to French agency AFP. | "All recent programmes before it, both by Airbus, Boeing and others, have had reasonably horrendous technical problems and delays," said Nick Cunningham, an aviation analyst at the London-based Agency Partners, speaking to French agency AFP. |
| "So every time you hit a milestone (such as a test flight), it's good news because it means that you've missed an opportunity to have another big delay." | "So every time you hit a milestone (such as a test flight), it's good news because it means that you've missed an opportunity to have another big delay." |
| The plane's wings were designed at an Airbus facility in Filton near Bristol, and are manufactured at Broughton in Wales. |