Airbus upbeat about new orders at Farnborough

PARIS (Reuters) - Aircraft maker Airbus (EAD.PA) expects to announce new orders at the Farnborough air show next week, its Director-General Fabrice Bregier said in an interview published on Saturday.

Bregier also said Airbus, a unit of European aerospace group EADS, would announce new measures before the end of the summer to help the planemaker cope with the weakness of the dollar compared with the euro.

"Airbus has reached 487 net orders by mid-year. We should announce further good news at the Farnborough show," Bregier said in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro.

Qatar Airways said on Wednesday it planned to hold a joint news conference with Airbus at Farnborough, raising expectations of a new plane order at the world's biggest air show.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad could also help to sustain Middle East demand at Farnborough but analysts say jetliner manufacturers are facing an overall drop in orders due to high oil prices and defence firms bracing for slower spending growth.

Airbus has orders on its books to last about seven years, and Bregier said he saw reasons for optimism as well as gloom.

"It's true that oil prices are hitting all airlines. But our commercial strategy will allow us to cope with possible cancellations or delays of orders," Bregier told Le Figaro.

"Some clients in Asia and in the Middle East are asking us to bring forward the production of their planes, as are clients who want to accelerate the replacement of old planes that consume too much kerosene," he said.

Asked about a probe by French authorities into alleged insider trading at EADS, which has seen four executives or former executives placed under formal investigation, Bregier said he was confident he would be found innocent.