Airbus touts 400-seat 'A350-8000' jetliner

Phoenix, Arizona

AIRBUS is seeking airline support for a new 400-seat jetliner provisionally dubbed the "A350-8000" as competition escalates with Boeing over the world's largest two-engined jets, airline and aviation industry sources said.

After talking up the possibility of a new member of its A350 family, the European planemaker has swung into an active pre-marketing phase as it responds to a recent upgrade in the competing Boeing 777 series.

While Boeing has scored successes in the Gulf with its biggest-ever twin-engined jet, the 406-seat 777-9, Airbus is expected to aim its design at airlines that do not always require the performance needed for extreme Gulf conditions.

"It would have similar capacity and range (as the 777-9) and substantially lower seat-mile costs," Airbus sales chief John Leahy said. "We are showing it to…