Boeing beats European rival Airbus in global aircraft order race for the first time since 2012
- Airbus registers 747 orders compared to Boeing’s 893
- Airbus was outsold three to one by Boeing for a second year in the high-margin widebody segment
Airbus abandoned a five-year winning streak in the race for jetliner orders in 2018, slumping to its lowest share of the US$150 billion jet market in six years but narrowing a gap against US rival Boeing Co in aeroplane deliveries.
The European company said it had won 747 net orders, down 33 per cent from 2017 despite a hefty contribution from the Canadian A220 jet which it took over in July. Boeing won the order race for the first time since 2012 with 893 orders.
Airbus delivered 800 jets, up 11 per cent, including 20 of the small A220 model, leaving Boeing as the world’s largest planemaker by manufacturing volume for a seventh straight year.
Although Boeing missed its delivery target and Airbus had previously lowered its goal due to strains on the industry’s global supply chain, strong demand for passenger jets expanded total deliveries by 8 per cent, the fastest pace in six years.
Still, investors are watching for signs that a longer-than-usual aerospace cycle is fraying amid concerns over key markets like China, even though some slowdown in orders had been expected as manufacturers digest record production backlogs.
