BERLIN (AP) -- The chief executive of Airbus parent EADS says a huge order from Dubai-base Emirates means the A380 has passed a key test, but selling the superjumbo to U.S. airlines remains a "challenge."
Louis Gallois also said in an interview with The Associated Press at the Berlin Air Show Wednesday that the dollar's rise against the euro is positive and the European currency is now at a "reasonable" level.
He says that creates "a level playing field for competing with American industry."
EADS is hoping to expand outside euro countries and outside commercial planemaking to reduce exposure to currency swings and the cyclical airline industry.
It is bidding against Boeing Co. for a Pentagon tanker contract and Gallois said EADS has "found the partners" it needs.
