Airbus has already logged 139 orders for its new giant A380 aircraft, but success will not be complete unless it can interest China.
With the 2008
Beijing Olympics, there is speculation a mainland order for the twin-deck four-engine jet that can carry some 550 passengers will be announced at the A380's rollout tomorrow, JPMorgan analyst Peter Negline said in Hong Kong.
``We are in negotiations with all potential buyers,'' Gu Ming, the Airbus representative in China, said.
Airbus did well last year in China, recording firm orders for 58 of its smaller jets, including three from Hong Kong, and letters of intent for 23 more.
Britain's Sunday Times said Airbus is close to clinching two key A380 orders from China valued at a total of 2.28 billion euros (HK$23.31 billion).
The newspaper quoted industry sources as saying Airbus is in talks with
Beijing and Cathay Pacific.
It said the mainland order, likely to be split between Air China and China Southern, would be for five jets and a similar number of options to buy more.
The order of Cathay Pacific, it said, could be the same size.
In the next two decades, Airbus sees potential sales to China of some 1,600, while Boeing, which currently has a 62percent market share, predicts more than 2,000 and the Aviation Industries of China is looking at nearly 1,300.
Rainer Hertrich, co-chief executive of Airbus' European Aeronautic Defence and Space parent, has said
an undisclosed number of what will be the biggest commercial airliner had been reserved for China.
``The first flight is scheduled for March. I believe in the end, if the Chinese want to see it flying, honestly the Chinese have to hurry up,'' he said.
Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui has denied a report that
Beijing is holding up orders for at least five A380s because of the European Union's refusal to lift a 15-year-old ban on arms sales.
Airbus is aiming to lift its share from some 25 percent to 50 percent.
It would increase subcontracting commitments in China - largely for doors, wing sections and landing gear parts - from the current 30 million euros a year to 60 million euros in 2007 and 120 million euros by 2010.
Airbus China president Lawrence Barron has said it will set up an engineering centre in China next year and hire 200 staff by the end of 2008.
It is also discussing the possibility of assembling jets.
It also wants to manufacture at least 5 percent of the parts for the proposed A350 model in China, Airbus Germany head Gustav Humbert has said.
