Airbus lands coup against Boeing on Japanese market
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24424873

For Airbus it's an important breaching, and massive expansion of a beachhead on the Japanese market. Airbus has globally a roughly 50% share of the market, competing head to head with Boeing since years, but in Japan the market share always has been below 5% only, for the Japanese almost always bought Boeing exclusively, with the exception of some low price airlines opting for the A320.

For Boeing it is a blow and a loud declaration of mistrust after the Dreamliner debacle. The Japanese operate almost one half of all Dreamliners in operation worldwide currently. Japanese airlines have seen one Dreamliner burning too much, I assume, not mentioning the other quality problems.

The plane chosen now is a direct rival to the Dreamliner's own market segment. Delivery of the first planes to customers should start in 2014.