Airbus A350-1000’s first flight – in pictures

The A350-1000 is the stretched version of the A350-9000. Regis Duvignau / Reuters

The new Airbus aircraft is one of three that will undergo months of testing. Regis Duvignau / Reuters

The A350-1000 carries more passengers than Boeing's 747. Regis Duvignau / Reuters

If the new plane is as successful as is hoped, it may put bigger, four-engined craft under pressure. Regis Duvignau / Reuters

The A350-1000 is much more fuel efficient than predecessors. Regis Duvignau / Reuters

A Boeing 747-8 jumbojet lands at Le Bourget airport in Paris. Airbus' new A350-1000 may spell the end of the line for the famous old plane. Pascal Rossignol / Reuters

An Airbus A380, the world's largest jetliner touches down at Le Bourget airport. It, too, may come under pressure with the arrival of its stretched twin-engine stablemate, the A350-1000. Pascal Rossignol / Reuters

The biggest version of Airbus’ A350 wide-body jet made its first flight Thursday, swelling the twin-engine model’s capacity and casting further doubt on the future of four-turbine planes including the Boeing 747 and the European manufacturer’s own A380. The A350-1000, which departed Airbus’ base in Toulouse, France, at 10:42am local time, seats 366 people in three classes. That is just 44 fewer than the latest version of the 747, and with a vastly improved fuel burn thanks to the new aircraft’s two engines and composite construction.

* Bloomberg

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