SINGAPORE (CNN) -- Of all the aircraft on display at the Singapore Airshow, the brand new, fuel-efficient Airbus A350 XWB is dominating attention. Billed as the new generation wide-bodied jetliner and seen as a direct competitor to Boeing's Dreamliner, the A350 has been drawing crowds, taking part in aerial displays and opening its doors to select trade visitors. It's all part of a grand plan by Europe's Airbus to try to woo as many buyers as possible. Inside the 40,000 square meters of airshow exhibition space, the plane's maker, Airbus, has also grabbed the limelight, announcing the first big deal of this biennial aerospace and defense trade show to a packed press conference on Tuesday -- the firm sale of 63 A320 Family single aisle aircraft to low cost Vietnamese carrier VietJetAir.
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Singapore Airshow begins with A350 XWB flyover
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Airbus announces $6.4 billion deal with VietJetAir
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Over 35% of airplane deliveries in next 20 years set to be in Asia
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Boeing: Asia is center of aviation for the world
With Tuesday's announcement, competition just stepped up a notch in this critical market and both @placeholder and Airbus are keen to get as much leverage as possible out of this year's Singapore Airshow.