A350 set for maiden flight today
The Airbus A350 XWB is due to take off on its maiden flight this morning.
The newest aircraft from Airbus, seen as a direct competitor to Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, will take off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport at around 10am local time.
The A350 is the mid-size long range product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts.
Airbus said the new family will bring a "step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category".
The A350 will use 25% less fuel and provide an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions.
It is scheduled for entry-into-service in second half of 2014 and has already won 613 firm orders from 33 customers worldwide.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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