Airbus 380 flys over the Anglican Cathedral _220

AIRBUS chiefs said they were hopeful of winning back an £18bn deal to supply refuelling tanker aircraft to the US Air Force, despite a controversial decision by the US government to re-open bidding.

The company won the contract four months ago, but last week the Pentagon scrapped the deal after lobbying by US politicians who want the work awarded to rival US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and claimed the original tendering process was flawed.

Airbus parent company EADS chief executive Louis Gallois claimed the European aircraft was the best product for the contract.

Work on the 179 military aircraft – the first part of a possible order for 500 of the tankers – would help secure the jobs of 7,000 workers at Broughton, near Chester, and others at the Airbus site at Filton, near Bristol, who would work on the wings.

Gallois said the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) had only asked Airbus to look again at eight out of 100 concerns raised, rather than the entire deal.

Speaking at Farnborough, ahead of this week’s air show, he said: “We know we have the best aircraft and we know the plane is ready.”