Airbus announces major deal at Paris Air Show
Airbus came out fighting on the first day of the Paris Air Show, saying it has won enough orders to launch its mid-sized A350 jet after beating the rival Boeing 787 to a 60-plane deal with Qatar Airways.
After a run of bad news for the European plane maker, Qatar Airways announced that it chose to buy up to 60 A350s instead of Boeing's "Dreamliner."
Although the Doha-based carrier also said it plans to buy at least 20 Boeing 777s, the A350 announcement is a major boost for Airbus and a blow to Chicago-based Boeing - which had hoped Qatar would add to the 266 Dreamliner orders already on its books.
Before the Qatar deal, which has yet to be finalised, Airbus had announced just 10 non-binding A350 orders from Spanish carrier Air Europa. Boeing's claims - that the A350, derived from the existing A330, was no match for its all-new jet - were gaining credibility.
But Qatar's order was seen as a vote of confidence in the latest, improved design for the Airbus jet, which now includes more lightweight composites than originally promised.
Airbus Chief Executive Noel Forgeard said the Qatari deal means he now has "more than enough" orders to launch the plane.
