Airbus already won European safety approval in September for the A350, clearing the main regulatory hurdle before the jet can fly passengers, but approval from the U.S. regulator was seen as another critical milestone.

The version of the jet certified by the FAA and European regulators, the A350-900, is designed to seat 314 passengers and is due to enter service with Qatar Airways before the end of the year in direct competition with Boeing's (>> The Boeing Company) 787 Dreamliner.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Ingrid Melander)

Stocks treated in this article : AIRBUS GROUP, The Boeing Company