Ammon News - CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Japan's All Nippon Airways (9202.T) considers the Airbus (EAD.PA) A350 a "good candidate" to replace some Boeing 777s, its chief executive said on Sunday, in a sign that the airline could place its first order for Airbus big jets.

"The A350-1000 can be a good candidate for us," Osamu Shinobe told Reuters on the sidelines of an airlines conference.

"It is realistic to consider this as a replacement for the 777. In the near future, when we look at the replacement candidates, this can be a very good and strong candidate."

Japanese airlines have long been considered a fortress for Airbus's U.S. rival Boeing.

Japan Airlines (9201.T) is also considered a candidate to buy the Airbus (EAD.PA) A350-1000.

Boeing is offering a revamped version of its best-selling wide-body jet, the 777, but so far ANA is not "aggressively" looking at the so-called 777-9X upgraded model, Shinobe said.