Airbus said Monday it received 574 new aircraft orders last year, beating rival Boeing for the third year running as the international aviation market rebounded stronger than expected from the sharpest drop in its history.
The Toulouse-based plane-building consortium said 2010 orders were worth $74 billion at list prices and that it delivered a record 510 aircraft last year. The company said it predicted even more deliveries this year.
A year earlier, Airbus took in just 271 orders as the global economic slowdown led airlines to cancel or delay existing orders and halt construction.
Boeing this month reported that it took in 530 orders in 2010 and delivered a total of 462 aircraft.
Airbus' 2010’s orders were boosted by a late-December order by Richard Branson's Virgin America for 60 A320 single-aisle aircraft. Airbus said half the order is for its new version of the aircraft, the A320neo, designed to save carriers money by being more fuel efficient.
Airbus CEO Tom Enders said the European jet builder expected to deliver between 520 and 530 aircraft in 2011 but that orders could be higher.
"We've made tremendous progress, it makes me more optimistic on 2011 than I was for 2010," Enders said in a statement.
Airlines that cut back during the downturn are now scrambling to add jets to handle rising traffic as the international economy rebounds. Soaring jet fuel prices are also forcing carriers to look for newer, more efficient planes to replace gas-guzzling older models.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a company press conference Monday, top Airbus salesman John Leahy said fuel prices were "a small negative on the horizon" for Airbus.
Airbus' planned A320neo is the "the solution," he said, adding that the upgraded version of the workhorse single-aisle A320 would likely be launched in 2016, offering 15 percent better fuel efficiency than the current model.
Airbus delivered 18 of its A380 superjumbos last year and expects to deliver a further 20 to 25 units this year before ramping up production to three per month in 2012.
Last year Airbus took in 32 new orders for the A380.
The Toulouse-based plane-building consortium said 2010 orders were worth $74 billion at list prices and that it delivered a record 510 aircraft last year. The company said it predicted even more deliveries this year.
A year earlier, Airbus took in just 271 orders as the global economic slowdown led airlines to cancel or delay existing orders and halt construction.
Boeing this month reported that it took in 530 orders in 2010 and delivered a total of 462 aircraft.
Airbus' 2010’s orders were boosted by a late-December order by Richard Branson's Virgin America for 60 A320 single-aisle aircraft. Airbus said half the order is for its new version of the aircraft, the A320neo, designed to save carriers money by being more fuel efficient.
Airbus CEO Tom Enders said the European jet builder expected to deliver between 520 and 530 aircraft in 2011 but that orders could be higher.
"We've made tremendous progress, it makes me more optimistic on 2011 than I was for 2010," Enders said in a statement.
Airlines that cut back during the downturn are now scrambling to add jets to handle rising traffic as the international economy rebounds. Soaring jet fuel prices are also forcing carriers to look for newer, more efficient planes to replace gas-guzzling older models.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a company press conference Monday, top Airbus salesman John Leahy said fuel prices were "a small negative on the horizon" for Airbus.
Airbus' planned A320neo is the "the solution," he said, adding that the upgraded version of the workhorse single-aisle A320 would likely be launched in 2016, offering 15 percent better fuel efficiency than the current model.
Airbus delivered 18 of its A380 superjumbos last year and expects to deliver a further 20 to 25 units this year before ramping up production to three per month in 2012.
Last year Airbus took in 32 new orders for the A380.
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