The bitter US/European trade conflict over aircraft subsidies overshadowed this week’s launch of the Airbus A350, but in the fiercely fought global aircraft market, the go-ahead given by Airbus shareholders to produce the new long-range aircraft has defined the next sales battleground for the world’s duopoly aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing.

In an industry so finely balanced between just two suppliers neither group can afford to fall too far behind the other in any key market segment.