Airbus sales chief says orders to match deliveries 'at a stretch'

Sales chief John Leahy said orders in 2016 would keep up with deliveries "at a stretch," while noting parent Airbus Group's guidance remained a book-to-bill-ratio of one.

Leahy was speaking at the start of what is expected to be a relatively quiet Farnborough Airshow, despite higher long-term market forecasts issued by both Airbus and Boeing.

Leahy said he expected growth in deliveries to pause at some point but not to turn into a cyclical decline, adding that while orders remained cyclical, Airbus had managed to smooth cyclical swings in deliveries and expected Boeing would do the same.

Leahy also said that Airbus expected to make a decision this year on whether to develop a larger version of its A350 jetliner, nicknamed the A350-2000.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Mark Potter)