Airbus A350 plant starts

The model of the first Airbus A350 XWB plane is seen on the final assembly line in Toulouse, southwest France, yesterday. Airbus inaugurated a factory for its A350 jetliner yesterday, sparking a new phase in the race for fuel efficiency and profits with US rival Boeing. Built in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the A350 is Europe's first contribution to a new generation of jets designed to cut airline fuel bills by using mainly lightweight carbon-composite materials instead of the heavier aluminium. Airbus and Boeing expect total demand for more than 6,000 such mid-sized, long-range jets over the next 20 years.