PARIS: European planemaker Airbus looks set to challenge Boeing for top place in the order race in the first quarter after falling behind its US rival in 2012, data showed yesterday.
Swelled by a previously revealed $24bn order from Indonesia’s Lion Air, Airbus reported 431 orders, up fourfold from the first three months of last year and well above the 193 orders Boeing registered for the period to March 26.
Airbus announced separately that it had boosted production of the A330, a passenger jet which has enjoyed a renaissance thanks to delays to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, to a planned record level of 10 a month.
However, it also suffered a setback in its corporate jet business as the data revealed one of two private customers for the future A350 — billed as Europe’s answer to the lightweight Dreamliner — had cancelled.
Lion Air’s order for 234 narrowbody A320-family airliners, signed in front of French President Francois Hollande last month, fuelled a debate over whether new Southeast Asian airlines are soaking up too much capacity.
Planemakers generally insist that demand from carriers like Lion Air, already one of Boeing’s largest customers, underscores the transport needed to support some of the world’s liveliest economies. But some bankers have warned of an order bubble.
Last month’s orders also included confirmation, as expected, of a 16-plane deal from Hawaiian Airlines.
Reuters
