Airbus Group NV said its aircraft deliveries rose 2.7% from a
year earlier in the first six months of 2014, though the figure
left it trailing rival Boeing Co. by that measure.
The Toulouse-based plane maker delivered 303 planes in the
period, and said it expects to deliver about the same number this
year as in 2013, when it handed over 626 jets.
Boeing on Thursday said it delivered 342 jets in the first half,
as the Chicago-based manufacturer seeks to retain the title of
world's largest airplane maker.
Airbus said it booked 290 net orders in the first six months. It
added 209 A320 commitments last month, though cancellations surged
after Emirates Airline voided a contract for 70 A350 long-range
jets valued at more than $21 billion at current list prices. Airbus
had 225 order cancellations in the first half of the year.
Airbus and Boeing are poised to see their multiyear order
backlogs swell further this month at the Farnborough International
Airshow outside London, the aerospace industry's flagship gathering
this year. Aircraft makers usually win large order commitments from
airlines and lessors at the event.
Last month's order intake included 80 A320 jets to an
undisclosed buyer, including purchases of the A320neo model that
features new engines and is due to enter service next year. It
secured a further 70 A320neo orders in May from another unnamed
buyer to maintain an edge over the Boeing 737 Max.
Plane makers will likely secure more than 500 orders at the
event that starts July 14, said Tom Captain, the head of Deloitte
LLP's global aerospace practice. That" would be down slightly from
the figure at last year's June air show outside Paris as plane
makers went on to achieve record bookings in 2013, he said.
Airbus and Boeing have recently benefited from a wave of orders
as European and U.S. airlines seek to buy more fuel-efficient jets
to replace gas guzzlers, while airlines in growth markets are
buying aircraft to satisfy expansion.
Chinese airlines have been among the biggest buyers of airplanes
this year, with Boeing securing a wave of orders for its 737
single-aisle plane while Airbus won commitments for its rival A320
and A330 long-range jet.
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