Airbus expects 20 orders for its USD$300 million A380 superjumbo this year, including two new customers, its chief salesman said on Thursday.

John Leahy, Airbus's Chief Operating Officer - Customers, made the comments to BBC Radio 4 in an interview from Singapore. Leahy said he expected these to come from two new customers and two existing ones.

So far Airbus has 159 orders for the plane from 16 customers but none has been announced this year.

And with 105 orders for other aircraft so far this year compared with 445 for its rival Boeing, Airbus risks losing the annual orders race for the first time since 2000.

But Leahy said the planemaker expected to beat Boeing on aircraft production in 2006 with deliveries of 430 aircraft.

The A380 has sparked controversy at parent firm EADS as complications in wiring the mammoth planes are expected to delay deliveries over the next three years.

EADS said last month the delays would lower its expected operating profit by EUR2 billion (USD$2.56 billion) to 2010.

Developed at a cost of EUR12 billion (USD$15.3 billion), the A380 is aimed at creating a new niche for planes even larger than the reigning heavyweight, the Boeing 747.

The first version of the A380 plane seats 555 passengers in three-class configuration and 853 in an all-economy layout.