Airbus to deliver first A350 jetliner around December 12

(Reuters) - Airbus is aiming to deliver the first A350 jetliner around Dec. 12, with customer Qatar Airways being the first recipient, a representative of the airline said on Tuesday.

The A350, Airbus' newest plane and made with carbon-fiber composite fuselage, is a direct competitor to Boeing's composite 787 Dreamliner.

The long-range, twin-aisle plane received its certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration last week, after winning European safety approval in September. The version of the jet certified by the FAA and European regulators, the A350-900, is designed to seat 314 passengers.

Airbus has booked 750 orders for the A350, including 549 for the A350-900 and 169 for the larger A350-1000, which is due to enter service in 2017. The smaller A350-800 has 32 orders.

Airbus is planning a steep production increase, aiming to build three A350s per month by year-end, up from two a month currently. By the end of next year it plans to build five a month and to hit 10 a month by mid-2018.

Airbus had planned to deliver the first A350 in mid-2014, but program delays pushed back the schedule. The plane's successful test flight program, regulatory certification and impending first delivery have been well received by Airbus investors, helping shares rise more than 7 percent in the past month.