Airbus recently delivered the 350th A350 plane, its answer to Boeing's revolutionary 787 Dreamliner. Here's how the new aircraft is reshaping air travel.

Airbus recently delivered to 350th Airbus A350 aircraft to one of its top customers, Air France.
The Airbus A350 program was first approved by Airbus in 2006 in response to the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner programs that were becoming popular with airlines and highlighted Airbus' inadequacies in the twin-engine market.
Fourteen years later, the Airbus A350 is a symbol of efficiency in aviation and reshaping long-haul air travel.
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Airbus delivered its 350th A350 aircraft to Air France earlier in February, marking a milestone for one of the manufacturer's newest twin-engine wide-body offerings. The delivery came six years after the first Airbus A350 was delivered to a customer in 2014, and seven years after its first flight in 2013.

Since its arrival in the skies, the A350's reach has spread far and wide, with no shortage of orders for the next-generation aircraft. The A350 has renewed fleets, been the platform for new products, and opened routes previously thought to be unviable, all in its short time in the sky.

Much like Boeing with the 777 and 787 Dreamliner, the A350 marked a turning point for Airbus that saw it shift to producing next-generation twin-engines instead of going big with aircraft like the A380, a commercial flop for Airbus which will end the program after less than 300 deliveries.

With the A350 quickly surpassing the A380 in terms of orders, it's been a successful aircraft for Airbus and is ushering in the future for the manufacturer and air travel.

Take a look back at the history of the Airbus A350.

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