Boeing rival Airbus is already trimming its production rates of its new A350XWB jetliner two years before its first flight, a French publication is reporting.

The French newspaper Les Echos said the European aircraft producer is now telling airlines it expects to produce only 10 A350-XWBs in 2013 compared with the 18 it had previously promised.

In 2014, production is expected to drop from the previously predicted 51 to 40, said the paper.

Boeing, itself is more than 2 1/2 years behind in delivering its first composite-bodied jetliner, the 787 Dreamliner. Just last week, the company slide the first commercial delivery into 2011′s first quarter from December this year.