The newest aircraft from European planemaker Airbus has taken off on its maiden test flight. The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. It is seen as vital to the future of Airbus, which competes with Boeing to supply the majority of the world's airlines with new planes. It took off from Blagnac airstrip in the French city of Toulouse, where the A350 is assembled. The plane will take a short trip to carry out tests and then land back at Toulouse again. Boeing's Dreamliner has proved popular since its first flight in 2009, despite recently being grounded by regulators over safety fears relating to its batteries. Airbus claims the A350, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, will use about 25% less fuel than previous generation wide-bodied aircraft. Like the Dreamliner, the A350 is made largely of advanced materials, particularly carbon composites, in order to save weight. The company hopes to start delivering the first A350s to customers by the end of 2014.