Japan Airlines Co. announced plans Monday to purchase at least 31 Airbus A350 midsize jets to replace its aging Boeing 777s in a milestone move that cracks the U.S. plane maker's virtual monopoly on Japan.
France-based Airbus SAS has long sought to expand its presence in the Japanese market, whose top carriers, JAL and All Nippon Airways, faithfully stuck with Boeing Co. jetliners.
"In a nutshell, the A350 meets our demands in the best way," JAL President Yoshiharu Ueki said at a joint news conference with Airbus in Tokyo.
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