Airbus looks to China for A380 jumbo amid sluggish global sales

Chinese airlines could need between 60 and 100 Airbus A380 jets over the next five or so years as passenger traffic grows, the plane maker’s China head said on Tuesday, amid rising questions over future demand for the super jumbo. Strong demand in China - if translated into orders - would be a major boost for the A380, the world’s biggest jetliner, which has faced sluggish demand as airlines shift focus towards a generation of nimbler, more fuel-efficient long-haul planes such as the A350 and rival Boeing's 787. China is the world’s fastest growing aviation market and is a key battleground for Airbus as well as Boeing which recently predicted the country would spend over $1t on planes over the next 20 years. “When I look at the market flow, the passenger flow, route by route and the economics, I‘m fully confident that the Chinese carriers will need a minimum of 60 A380s over the next 5 to 7 years,” Airbus China Head Eric Chen said. Airbus has sold five A380s to China Southern Airlines but has otherwise failed to penetrate the market with the double-decker jet despite its robust demand forecasts.<br/>