Delta's Airbus A350 Makes Its First Appearance

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Airbus is making steady progress with Delta's first A350 — the twin-engine jet rolled out of the Airbus paint shop in Toulouse, France on Tuesday spotting the carrier's signature blue and red livery.

Ship 3501, as it's identified on the assembly line, first took to the skies three weeks ago, kicking off two months of rigorous flight testing, painting and cabin installation as the airline counts down to a mid-summer delivery. This comes after the aircraft entered the final assembly line back in January this year.

While the A350 isn't foreign to US airports, Delta will be the first US airline to operate the aircraft. The airline plans to operate this soon-to-be flagship international aircraft on transpacific routes from its hub in Detroit (DTW) as it retires the last of its Boeing 747 workhorses in the fourth quarter of this year.

The wide-body jet will debut Delta's latest Delta One suites that will feature, among other things, a full-height door at every suite, sliding privacy dividers between center suites, in-suite customizable ambient lighting, an 18-inch, high resolution IFE screen and a universal power outlet and USB port at every seat.

In total, the aircraft will seat 306 passengers — 32 in the Delta One cabin, 48 in Delta Premium Select and 226 in economy. The next-gen airframe will also feature seatback entertainment equipped with Delta Studio, Gogo 2KU Wi-Fi internet access, high-capacity overhead bins across all cabins and LED ambient lighting.