The first seeds of the concept that would eventually evolve into the A380 were sown in the late 1980s. It's June 1987, on the eve of the Paris Air Show. The A320 is poised to make its Paris debut, while Boeing is set to launch the 737-500, but the European consortium already harbours ambitions reaching well beyond the single-aisle segment. Governments in Bonn, Paris and London have just approved the funding needed to launch the A330/340 programme, propelling Airbus firmly into the long-haul market where it faces the daunting task of challenging the two incumbents, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing. Airbus, however, has reason to be confident - the innovative A320 has already logged almost 300 orders; sales of the A300/310 have passed the 450 mark; and the future A330/340 comes away from Paris with 130 commitments from 10 airlines.
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