Airbus new A350 due for maiden flight Airbus's new long-haul A350 plane is preparing to take off on its much-anticipated maiden flight. AIRBUS'S new A350 plane is preparing to take off on its much-anticipated maiden flight. Friday's take off will be a milestone for an aircraft, which the firm hopes will help close the gap with rival Boeing in the lucrative long-haul market. Weather permitting, the next-generation plane will leave the southwestern city of Toulouse at 8am GMT on Friday (6pm AEST) with six people on board - a British and a French test pilot, a flight engineer and three other engineers at the back. The test flight of the long-haul plane - more than half of which is made of composite materials - comes just days ahead of the Bourget air show where Boeing and Airbus traditionally vie for the spotlight over plane orders. If the maiden flight is successful, Airbus will enter a test flying period it hopes will last less than 18 months, and plans to deliver its first A350 at the end of next year. Nick Cunningham, an aviation analyst at the London-based Agency Partners, says the A350 will complete Airbus's long-haul stable, which includes the A380 super jumbo. The aircraft will gradually replace the older A330, a plane that has generated almost half of the firm's revenues in recent years, Cunningham said. The extensive use of carbon-based composites means the new plane will be lighter and deliver fuel economy, much like its rival, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Despite dethroning Boeing in the medium-hall segment, Airbus still needs to catch up with its rival in the long-range market, where the US firm dominates with its 777 and Dreamliner, despite the latter's recent technical problems.