Airbus’s CEO Breaches Japan Fortress With Sake and Ski Lifts

Three decades after he began his business career selling aluminum in Japan, Airbus Chief Executive Officer Fabrice Bregier tapped his experience of the country to land a $9.5 billion deal for a plane made of plastic.

Bregier logged 50,000 miles on four trips to Tokyo in his first year at the helm of the European planemaker, working to penetrate a market that’s been the preserve of Boeing Co. since World War II. His reward came yesterday when Japan Airlines Co. placed its first Airbus order for 31 long-range A350 jets.