European airliner manufacturer Airbus remains upbeat about the international air traffic sector. "Globally, the market remains very positive, though with some volatility," Airbus (not to be confused with the Airbus Group, of which it is part) president and CEO Fabrice Bregier told aviation journalists at a dinner in Toulouse, France, on Wednesday night.

He reaffirmed that Emirates Airlines' cancellation of new generation A350XWB airliners, announced on Wednesday morning, would not hurt his company. "We had an unfortunate announcement ... – the cancellation of 70 A350s. Is this a problem for us? No. The first deliveries [to Emirates] were due in 2019, giving us plenty of time to find other customers."

The A350 made its first flight on June 14, 2013. "We celebrate the first anniversary of the A350 flying," he said. "We are in line for certification by the end of Q3 [third quarter, 2014]. We have started cabin integration for our first customer, Qatar [Airways]."

He also reported that another major company programme, the re-engining of the highly successful A320 family of single-aisle airliners, was also on track. The new version is designated the A320neo (standing for new engine option). The first of the new type will make its maiden flight a year before the first delivery to a customer is scheduled.

"The [A]330 [wide-body airliner] is doing well," he reported. A number of airlines have requested that the company develop a neo version of this aircraft as well. "New engine or not? We are studying it. We have an excellent aircraft. ... It's not just [a matter of] adding new engines. It's more complicated than that."

Regarding the A380 Superjumbo, he reported that it was now enjoying good operational reliability. "It is now an aircraft that delivers the performance we expected a few years ago."

He also stressed the importance of innovation, both in terms of long-term research and development and very quick incremental innovations that might be easy for the engineers to do but which would bring real value to customers. "This is a mind-set, innovation," he affirmed.

Furthermore, he highlighted the internationalisation of the company. He cited the Airbus final assembly line (FAL) in China. "We will export from this FAL to other Asian countries." And he noted that the new FAL, now under construction in the US, would start delivering A320neo family aeroplanes during 2016.

"At the end of the day we are looking at profitability," asserted Bregier. They needed the A350XWB to have a successful entry into service. The desire is that the A320neo, A330 and A350 families will be profitable and that, in a few years, the A380 will be breaking even.

Keith Campbell has been attending the Airbus Innovation Days 2014 in Toulouse as a guest of the company.