Airbus delivers the goods

摘要

Last year saw a record number of aircraft ordered from Airbus as it claimed 54 per cent of the market share by volume. The company received 1,608 new orders (1,419 net) worth $140bn (￡91bn) - beating its own previous record from 2007 at 1,458 orders (1,341 net). The net-order figures recognise that the company has a backlog of about 4,500 orders. 'Last year truly was exceptional and of course that gives you the momentum to grab the attention of those that didn't quite get round to ordering last year but might do so this year,' Alan Pardoe, head of marketing communications at Airbus, told The Engineer. Airbus also made a record 534 deliveries to 88 customers last year, although the company is targeting 570 deliveries in 2012. The company acknowledged that the buoyant figures were largely down to the A320neo. However, Boeing, Airbus's main competitor, has re-engineered its 737 model and claims the resulting 737 MAX is more fuel efficient than the A320neo.