Airbus says maintains order target, but harder now

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is maintaining its 2009 sales target of 300 gross orders, but it was more difficult to accomplish, the company's sales chief said on Sunday.

"Three hundred is still our target, but it is more of a stretch now," Airbus Commercial Director John Leahy told Reuters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association.

"We see the market improving, and we have negotiations for orders ongoing."

Both Airbus and rival Boeing Co have suffered as travel demand dries up in the recession and airlines cancel orders.

The head of global airlines body IATA told Reuters last week that plane orders could fall 30 percent in 2010.