China to order five superjumbos

A Chinese airline will sign an order for five Airbus A380 superjumbos on Friday.

China Southern Airlines executive Yang Defeng confirmed the £750m (€1.1m) order for the 555-seater planes in an interview with the English-language China Daily newspaper.

Airbus has for months been suggesting it expects a Chinese client to sign up soon for the A380 – leaving enough time to take delivery ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

If confirmed, the deal will make China Southern Airlines the 15th customer for the A380, taking to 154 the total number of firm orders received for the new plane, which enters into service next year.

In Britain, Virgin Atlantic has placed six firm orders, with the first to arrive in 2008. British Airways not placed an order.

It would also signal another victory for Airbus over Boeing as the transatlantic rivals do battle in what’s expected to be one of the biggest aircraft markets over the next two decades.