'More than half this year's orders for the A380, Airbus' biggest plane, should come from Asia,' Airbus chief operating officer John Leahy said at the Singapore Airshow.

He also said that Singapore Airlines may need another 10 A380s and up to 30 mid-sized A350s.

The carrier acquired its first A380 in October last year, becoming the first airline in the world to operate the world's biggest passenger jet.

Airbus said on Wednesday that aircraft orders are expected to decline by about 50 per cent to 700 planes this year in tandem with a slowing global economy.

The European firm's executives said its order book this year is expected to include 30 A380 double-decker aircraft and more than 100 A350 long-range planes.

They added that the Asia-Pacific region - currently behind North America and Europe - remains on track to become the top global market in the next 20 years. -- AFP