New York---Boeing is fighting tough efforts by rival Airbus to score big gains in the market for long-haul jets, a segment of the massive aircraft market that the US giant has dominated.
Neck-and-neck with Boeing in sales of single-aisle, 150-200 passenger jets, Airbus has badly lagged its US archrival in wide-body aircraft with 250-450 seats.
But Airbus has high hopes for its new A350, which it says is "setting a new standard of efficiency in its class" with a lightweight, carbon fiber composition that can save up to 25 percent in fuel consumption.
Airbus believes the A350 can compete with Boeing's classic 777 aircraft as well as the its heavily-touted 787 Dreamliner, which also boasts carbon fiber construction to cut weight.
But Boeing executives say they are confident the US company's lead will stick.
Airbus "still don't have the market coverage we do, especially on the upper end of the market," said Boeing marketing vice president Randy Tinseth.
"You see it with the orders. You see it with the market share. They are just not doing that well."
Tinseth said Airbus would need to develop a new version of its A350 with 450 seats to compete with the Boeing 777-9X.
But some analysts see a more competitive landscape than Boeing is letting on.
"If you exclude the 777-9X, the other models can run the same routes with the same capacity and a similar level of performance," said Michel Merluzeau, an analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
Airbus has "got a foot in the market of the 787 and a foot in the market of the 777," Merluzeau added.
AFP
