Singapore Airlines has secured a 30% discount off the list price from Airbus for its $8.6 billion order for the A3XX.

The world's most successful airline announced on Friday an order for 10 of the 555-seat Airbus A3XXs with 15 options, to handle air travel, which is booming again in Asia. Growth is soaring at 15%.

Singapore-based analysts said the significant discounts, which have also been offered to Qantas and Cathay Pacific by Airbus and its rival Boeing's 747 Stretch-X, reflect the critical importance of the world's most influential airline to the success of both aircraft.

And, according to Airbus, the potential orders up to 2019 are massive - 1,500 aircraft worth $700 billion, which represents 23% of the world commercial aircraft market.

SIA's order is even more important in the context that it is expected that Southeast Asian airlines will account for 44% of the orders for megajumbos by 2019.

Eight of the world's 10 busiest routes involve an Asian destination.

Airbus has been struggling to break into Boeing's dominance of the jumbo market, and the SIA order guarantees the A3XX will be built.

The European consortium had secured commitments from Emirates Airlines, Air France and International Lease Finance Corporation for 22 aircraft, but those orders do not come close to securing production go-ahead.

SIA's pivotal commitment changes all of that overnight.

SIA's deputy chairman, Cheong Choong Kong said the battle between the 747 Stretch-X and the A3XX was very close and hotly contested.

"The Airbus had more passenger space and had more new technology," he said.

Now all eyes will move to Australia's Qantas, which is expected to follow the SIA lead.

The order diminishes the chances of Boeing launching its 747X aircraft and may force the Seattle manufacturer back to the drawing board to design a totally new jumbo.

But if Boeing is right on the trend for more non-stop flights, such as Perth-London, with longer ranged aircraft such as the 777-200LR and A340-500, then it may be many years before Airbus breaks even on the program.

Now the hard part

However, massive challenges are ahead for Airbus. The easy part is securing the order - now the manufacturer must meet the tough guarantees that enable SIA to walk away without any damage.

In 1969, Boeing nearly went bankrupt building the 747 - and the aircraft had no direct competitor to force margins down.

The European consortium must meet demanding noise requirements for Heathrow, while building the biggest passenger aircraft ever built and also beat Boeing's guarantees for its 747X.

But Forgeard was very confident that Airbus will easily beat the London QC2 noise limit.

"We are working on a larger front fan with the engine makers as one solution," he said.

Airbus is working from computer modeling and wind tunnel testing for its performance guarantees, while Boeing has years of 747 experience to build on, with its upgraded model.

If Airbus is out by even 1% on performance it could ruin the consortium.

Some of the most spectacular write-offs in corporate history have come from aircraft that failed to meet performance guarantees.