Airbus bags 140 aircraft orders till July
10 Aug 2009
Paris: Airbus won 140 aircraft orders in the first seven months of the year, but offset by 22 cancellations it now has net orders of 118 aircraft. The order book was boosted immensely by an order for 50 A320 planes from low-cost carrier Wizz, which was confirmed in July.
The 22 cancellations included five A350s, the plane Airbus is developing to take on rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
Airbus also said it delivered 288 aircraft by 31 July, including three A380 superjumbos to Singapore Airlines and a fourth to Emirates. It promised to deliver 10 more A380s this year.
The EADS-owned Airbus said it looking to match the record number of 483 aircraft deliveries achieved last year. This would be particularly helpful for the company's cash flow as airlines pay the bulk of the cost of new planes on delivery.
Airbus has predicted a massive drop in gross orders, up to 300 this year, as airlines struggle with the economic downturn and a drop in air travel.
