Three decades after he began his business career selling aluminum in Japan, Airbus Chief Executive Officer Fabrice Bregier tapped his experience of the country to land a $9.5 billion deal for a plane made of plastic.
Bregier logged 80,000 km on four trips to Tokyo in his first year at the helm of the European plane-maker, working to penetrate a market that has been the preserve of Boeing Co. since World War II. His reward came Monday when Japan Airlines Co. placed its first Airbus order for 31 long-range A350 jets.
The CEO had already lobbied incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when the balance began to tilt in Airbus' favor with the grounding of Boeing's rival 787 on Jan. 16 after two battery fires.