At the Farnborough Air Show Tuesday, Airbus sales chief John Leahy, along with Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier, toured the Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner that is flying this week.

After disembarking, a reporter asked Leahy what he thought of the Dreamliner.

Leahy cannot let such an opportunity pass without putting in a word for his forthcoming rival jet, the A350, and at the same time taking a little dig at Boeing's baby.

"The interior is lovely," Leahy responded. "It's the same interior we'll put in my A350. Except this is a little bit smaller."

The A350 indeed has a slightly wider fuselage than the 787, prompting Leahy in 2006 to begin marketing it as the A350XWB -- for "extra-wide body."

The largest member of the Airbus jet family, the A350-1000 actually competes against the 777, not the 787. The 777 cabin is wider than that of the A350.

(Above right, John Leahy takes a last look at Boeing's 787 as he and his boss Fabrice Bregier descend to the tarmac at Farnborough. My photo.)

(On the jump: The Qatar Airways 787 Dreamliner against a threatening Farnborough sky. My photo.)