Airbus A350 makes its maiden flight

The Airbus A350 takes off on its maiden flight at Blagnac airport near Toulouse, southwestern France. Sylvain Ramadier / AP Photo

PARIS // The maiden flight of the Airbus A350 ended with a safe landing yesterday, setting the stage for intensifying competition with US rival Boeing in the market for long-haul and widebody aircraft.

The four-hour flight from Toulouse marks a key step on the path to full certification for the jet, which can carry between 250 and 400 passengers and is the European aircraft maker's best hope for catching up in a long-distance market dominated by Boeing's 787 and 777. Toulouse airspace closed for both take-off and landing.

Airbus has 613 orders for the A350, and hopes yesterday's flight will bring it momentum heading into next week's Paris Air Show, which is already shaping up as a battle of the widebody planes.

More than half of the twin-engined jet consists of lightweight carbon-fibre designed to save on jet fuel, which makes up half the cost of long-haul flights.

The A350, which was delayed for two years as Airbus hashed out the new design, is a direct competitor with the 787 Dreamliner - minus the lithium ion batteries now under investigation for unexplained smouldering. Airbus abandoned its plans to use the lithium ion batteries despite their advantages in weight, power and recharging speed.

"The A350 has the same innovations more or less as the Dreamliner, the 787," said Gerard Feldzer, a French aviation expert and former airline pilot. "It is pretty much equivalent, the same amount or proportion of carbon for the lightness of the material, just as many electrical devices."

Boeing's list prices for its 787 line range from US$206 to $243 million (Dh756m to Dh892m). Airbus lists prices ranging from $254 to $332m (Dh932m to Dh1.2 billion), and had 613 orders as of May, compared with 890 orders for the 787. Steep discounts are common on large orders, although the details are rarely made public.

Airbus claims the A350 burns 25 per cent less fuel than the Boeing due to its lighter weight, redesigned Rolls-Royce engines and new aerodynamics.

"The first flight is a very special moment in an aerospace company," Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus parent company EADS, said late Thursday.