Airbus deliveries speed ahead of Boeing

ALAN PEAT
THE HIGHS and lows of the aircraft manufacturing industry are revealed in the latest sales figures from plane-making giants, Boeing and Airbus.
Boeing deliveries of commercial aircraft slumped to a ten year low in its strike-hindered third quarter, the US aerospace company told Airwise News.
Deliveries to airlines and lessors in that three-month period were 62 aircraft – 23 less than the second quarter and five less than the third quarter of 2004. The previous low was in the third quarter of 1995 – standing also at 62.
Boeing’s deliveries for the year to September totalled 217 aircraft.
Europe’s rival plane-maker, Airbus, had better figures all round. It delivered 271 aircraft in the first nine months of 2005, compared with 224 in the same period of the previous year.
Gustav Humbert, the new chairman of the group, has forecast that the company expects to deliver 360-370 planes in 2005 and more than 400 in 2006. This after the 320 sales registered for 2004.
Meanwhile, Boeing expects to deliver 320 planes this year and 395 in 2006.
An Airbus executive has told the European press that it was possible that this year’s new orders of both Airbus and Boeing combined could break the record 1 631 planes in 1989.