But in Toulouse last week Tom Williams, Airbus's head of manufacturing, dropped a hint that the firm's other factory in Britain (at Filton, near Bristol) could lose to French or German plants when Airbus starts making wing panels from composite materials rather than aluminium.

ECONOMIST: The turbulent aircraft-maker tries to slow its descent

At the ceremony Boeing affirmed that the virgin test flight of the world's first big airliner to be made largely of composite materials, rather than aluminium, would take place by the end of June.

ECONOMIST: Boeing and the 787

Worldwide, airlines have been slowly but steadily putting into operation two next-generation aircraft -- Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 -- both of which have shells made heavily of composite materials, such as carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, instead of aluminium.

BBC: Increased comfort in the sky