The company will outsource more manufacturing to non-European markets including China and Russia, as well as Japan, a country long dominated by US rival Boeing Co, Airbus Chief Executive Gustav Humbert said at an Airbus forum in Tokyo.
"We will do this in countries which are important for us in terms of market access, in terms of technology, or in terms of cost and price," Humbert told the meeting of potential customers, suppliers, politicians and media. "We are open for further co-operation," he said.
He said the strategy may create concern at home but would be pursued as a win-win situation for both Airbus and its suppliers.
Airbus outsourced about 25 percent of production abroad for its latest mid-sized airliner, the A350. About 20 percent of components for the A380 superjumbo is supplied by non-European companies.