TOKYO (Reuters) - Airbus Group (PA:AIR) will announce a "significant order" from a Japanese airline on Friday, in a move that could help the planemaker narrow the gap with its arch-rival Boeing (N:BA) in their race to supply aircraft to the country.
The order will also be a big win for the European company globally as it comes at a time when planemakers are struggling to book new sales in a market that is seen as somewhat oversupplied with jets, especially larger wide-body models.
Airbus will unveil the Japanese deal on Friday, 0100 GMT, at a briefing hosted by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Fabrice Bregier, the company said in an e-mailed invitation, without providing any details on the name of the buyer.
However, according to industry sources, Airbus has been in talks to sell A320neo passenger jets to Japan's Peach Aviation, a low cost carrier that is 39 percent owned by ANA Holdings (T:9202) - the country's largest airline.
"We are considering various options, but have not yet decided on aircraft orders," a spokesman for Peach said.
"I am not currently aware of any plans for us to hold a press conference on Friday," he added.
Peach began flying in 2012 from Kansai in western Japan and operates 18 single-aisle Airbus A320 planes. It could be looking to grow its fleet or replace older aircraft with more efficient models as it expands at home.
The budget carrier started flying to Tokyo's Haneda airport last year and plans to open up services to Sendai in northeast Japan in the business year starting April and to the northern island of Hokkaido in the following twelve-month period.
Reuters also spoke to Japan's top airlines - ANA Holdings (T:9202) and Japan Airlines (T:9201) - after Airbus said it would unveil an order from the country, but both carriers said they had not planned any press conference for Friday. ANA, in January, had announced a deal to buy three A380 super jumbos.
A big deal in Japan would take Airbus nearer to its target to sell 670 planes globally this year. As of October, that tally stood at 585.
It will also be a shot in the arm for the company in its race against Boeing in Japan, where the latter is the bigger player given its strong ties to local aerospace firms such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (T:7011) that build significant portions of its jetliners.