Airbus SAS reported its commercial aircraft deliveries rose 8% for 2016 to 688 jets, a new corporate record and the fourteenth straight year of increases for the OEM. Also, with 731 net orders in 2016 Airbus again “won” in the yearly competition with rival Boeing Commercial Airplanes for the most new entries in its commercial aircraft orders log.
Boeing last week reported its 2016 totals as 748 aircraft deliveries and 668 net orders.
“We delivered on our objectives in a challenging environment, proving our ramp-up readiness for the future. I salute all our teams on this outstanding achievement,” stated Fabrice Brégier, president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft and chief operating officer for Airbus.
In detail, Airbus reported that its 2016 deliveries included 545 single-aisle aircraft from the A320 series and 66 from A330 series; plus 49 A350 XWB and 28 A380 wide-body aircraft.
The new orders were drawn from 51 customers, of which eight are new customers, and included 607 single-aisle and 124 wide-body aircraft.
The total of new orders fell by over 300 aircraft from 2015 to 2016, but remain impressive at 6,874 aircraft. Airbus estimates this total to be worth $1.018 trillion at current list prices.
Other noteworthy achievements for Airbus during the past year included the delivery of its 10,000th aircraft, an A350 XWB, and the first flight of its new A350-1000, its largest aircraft.
Airbus also started deliveries of both engine variants for the A320neo, which it notes is “the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft.”
