Airbus sees more show orders

FARNBOROUGH (Reuters) - Airbus (EAD.PA) pledged to notch up over 200 plane orders this week and is chasing a major order from an aircraft leasing company, the European planemaker's sales chief said at the Farnborough Airshow.

"I would be surprised if we didn't sell over 200 planes," John Leahy told reporters at the show on Monday following an $11 billion (5.5 billion pound) deal from United Arab Emirates' Etihad Airways.

Asked if he thought there would be a big order from an aircraft leasing company during the airshow, Leahy said: "Yes. I hope it's with Airbus."

International Lease Finance, the world's biggest plane lessor by fleet value and a unit of insurer American International Group (AIG.N), told Reuters earlier on Monday it had no plans to announce big orders at the airshow.

Leahy said he was expecting "800 or so" firm orders this year, up from an earlier forecast of around 700.

This would still be a significant drop from last year's record 1,341 orders as the world's airlines wrestle with soaring fuel costs and economic weakness and face billions of dollars in losses this year.

Leahy said Airbus was working with its airline customers to ensure any planes that had already been ordered would be delivered and paid for, although Airbus would itself only provide financing reluctantly.

This meant juggling some production slots between customers. But he did not expect any planes to roll off the production line in the next two years without an owner ready to take them on.

"We are comfortable with the backlog we have got," Leahy said. "We are trying to actively manage that order book far enough in advance."