The Airbus A350 XWB is about to hit the skies. Airbus Airbus, Boeing's chief rival in the aerospace industry, is on the verge of putting its brand new jet into the air for the first time.

The A350 XWB, in the works for nearly a decade, is the European company's answer to Boeing's Dreamliner, an effort to push the envelope in passenger comfort, aerodynamics, and fuel efficiency.

One of the first commercial jets (after the Dreamliner) to be made primarily of composite materials instead of metal, the A350 will come in three variants — the 800, 900, and 1000. It will carry between 250 and 350 people.

The largest, the A350-1000, will be able to fly 350 passengers 8,400 nautical miles (9,667 miles) on a tank of gas.

Boeing had the jump on Airbus, delivering the first Dreamliner in September 2011. But two battery malfunctions a week apart in January 2013 led to a federally-mandated grounding, hurting the planemaker's reputation and bottom line.

Eager to avoid such a costly debacle, Airbus is taking its time rolling out the A350.

The company has not set a date for the new jet's first test flight, though there's speculation the A350 will take off at the Paris Air Show next week.