Airbus demands chance to bid for IAG's surprise Boeing 737 MAX order

Airbus called on Thursday for a chance to compete for a blockbuster plane order by British Airways owner IAG, which stunned industry executives at this week’s Paris Airshow by ordering 200 of Boeing’s grounded 737 MAX. Airbus announced a new version of its best-selling A321 with close to 240 orders and commitments in Paris, only to see its grip on IAG’s European short-haul networks damaged by the Boeing deal which analysts said shores up the embattled 737 MAX. Tuesday’s blockbuster order, worth more than $24b at list prices, was partly seen as an effort to preserve competition between planemakers, damaged by the three-month-old grounding crisis. But it jolted Airbus which was caught unawares after signing a smaller order for A321XLRs with IAG. Wrapping up the world’s largest air show on Thursday, Airbus publicly voiced its frustration over the deal and urged IAG to run a competition for the planes, which would be deployed at Vueling, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Level and part of BA. “We would like a chance to compete for that business,” CCO Christian Scherer said, adding that IAG had not issued a formal tender for the narrow-body order.<br/>