Fabrice Bregier

Subsidies given by the U.S. state of Washington to Boeing are illegal, the World Trade Organization said on Nov. 28, in a victory for rival aircraft maker Airbus and the European Union.

Airbus tentatively aims to deliver as many as 80 A350 jetliners in 2017, two people familiar with the plans said on Nov. 25.

The target marks a new stage in ambitious plans to raise output of the company's newest long-haul jet to 10 a month in 2018, but depends mainly on how successful suppliers will be in curbing delays in cabin equipment.

Europe's largest twin-engined passenger jet, the Airbus A350-1000, took to the skies for the first time on Nov. 24, seeking to grab the spotlight from Boeing's popular 777.

European planemaker Airbus beat Boeing in the race for new business last year, but remained behind on deliveries as Boeing extended its lead as the world's largest jetmaker.

The planemaking division of Airbus Group grabbed 1,036 net plane orders after cancellations, it said on Jan. 12, down 29 percent from 2014, compared with Boeing's tally of 768, a fall of 46 percent.

Moscow acknowledged Nov. 9 for the first time a terrorist attack could have caused the Oct. 31 Russian plane crash in Egypt, as thousands more tourists were evacuated from the country.

Planemaker Airbus increased its 20-year forecast for jet demand by nearly 4 percent on June 15, driven by growth in emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region and China.

Airbus sees demand for 32,600 new planes worth nearly $5 trillion, up from a previous forecast in September for 31,358 planes worth $4.6 trillion, it said at the Paris Airshow.