At Paris Air Show, Airbus has signed already several large orders. For example, US Airways has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus S.A.S. for 60 single-aisle A320-family aircraft and 32 widebody aircraft, including the next generation A350 XWB. The A320-family planes would replace 60 older aircraft in the airline's fleet.

Airbus commercial director John Leahy told journalists at the air show at Le Bourget, north of Paris, that the order was worth more than 8 billion dollars.

Doug Parker, US Airways Group, Inc. chairman and chief executive officer said, "We are very pleased to once again partner with Airbus. This transaction sets the stage for the next generation of the US Airways fleet, which will be among the youngest and most efficient in the U.S. airline industry. We're very excited about the A350 program and have every confidence that Airbus will manufacture a truly innovative and revolutionary aircraft.

"We know that all of these aircraft will serve customers and employees well for many years to come," Parker said.

Another Airbus’ customer, Emirates Airline, has signed an agreement to buy eight additional A380 superjumbo aeroplanes, taking the total order by the Dubai-based carrier for the largest commercial aircraft ever built to 55. Emirates plans to take delivery of the A380, beginning in the third quarter of 2008, Airbus said. No sum for the deal was announced, but the catalogue price for the planes totals 2.5 billion dollars.

Qatar Airways has signed a contract for the purchase of 80 of the all-new Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and also placed an order for a further three A380s, bringing their total order for the type to five.

The 80 A350 XWBs include 20 A350 XWB-800s, 40 A350 XWB-900s and 20 of the largest in the family, the A350 XWB-1000. Deliveries will begin from 2013. Qatar Airways will use the A350 XWBs to complement and subsequently replace its A330s on regional and long haul routes.

Airbus said that Jazeera Airways, the first private airline in the Middle East, has signed a firm contract for the purchase of 30 A320 airplanes.

The purchase brings the number of A320s in the Jazeera fleet to 40, Airbus said. Jazeera, established in 2004, is based in Kuwait and Dubai.