A new-generation fuel efficient passenger jet landed for the first time in the UK at Cotswold Airport near Kemble this evening (Wednesday, April 9).

The Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft, which seats 315 passengers, landed at the airfield at around 5.30pm after the first round of test flights which are being held at the airport over the next few days.

The plane is scheduled to fly commercial passengers in the second half of 2014 and is currently undergoing flight testing so that it can be allowed by airlines to carry passengers.

The test flights at the airport follow Airbus showing off the the interior plane for the first time on Monday, April 7 at a press event at its Hamburg base.

The Airbus A350 XWB comes in three models and is more efficient than existing aircraft of its size, using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions.

Once it is put to commercial use, it is expected the plane will be a rival to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

There has been 613 orders from 33 customers worldwide for the plane, which is powered Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, and Qatar Airways is scheduled to be the first airline to fly paying passengers in it.

It is believed that the A350 designers, Airbus will be test flying the aircraft until Friday, although the exact schedule is unknown.

The video below is taken from YouTube and was posted by Paul Brown.