The first French Air Force A400M military transport aircraft in the sky of Paris Air Show 2013 1706132.

Airbus SAS plans to use next month’s Paris air show to bolster export prospects for its A400M military cargo plane as it rushes to meet a mid-year deadline to deliver the first model to the French air force.

“Le Bourget is going to be a break-out point for exports,” Domingo Urena-Raso, the Airbus Military chief executive officer, said in an interview, referring to the airport north of Paris where the aerospace industry will gather starting June 17. With the A400M now entering service, new customers will have greater confidence in the product, he said.

Export campaigns are critical for Airbus to make money on the plane that is unprofitable with the 174 existing orders after technical issues delayed the program by years and increased costs. Malaysia so far is the only export buyer for the turbo-propeller plane being built for Germany, France, Spain, the U.K., Turkey, Belgium and Luxembourg.

“Winning exports this year is not reasonable, but why not next year,” Urena-Raso said by telephone. “I will maintain the pressure to get that.”

Two A400Ms are scheduled to be at the Paris show, with one participating in the daily flight display for the first time after an engine glitch grounded the plane during the event two years ago. Demonstration flights in potential export markets could take place before year end, Urena-Raso said.

Procurement authorities in France are finalizing acceptance of the first A400M before July after Airbus last year once again delayed the handover. A delivery ceremony at the Paris show would be an artificial deadline, Urena-Raso said.