Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury on Wednesday admitted a likely defeat in the annual plane order race against Boeing, saying it was possible the North American manufacturer could beat the European group for the first time in six years.
Airbus remains ahead of Boeing in terms of deliveries and orders already placed, Faury told France Inter.
Driven by strong demand for the 787 jet for long-haul flights, Boeing on Wednesday announced 908 net cancellation orders between January and November, compared with 700 for Airbus.
‘The fact that we have been ahead in terms of orders for five years means that our order book is much larger than that of our main competitor,’ Faury told the French radio station.
‘But it is true that they were helped by the US president as part of tariff negotiations with several countries, where plane orders became part of resolving trade disputes.’
US trade war supports Boeing
Analysts say several airlines have placed orders with Boeing or scheduled announcements of previously planned plane purchases to calm trade tensions created by the United States this year, especially in Asia.
Continues after advertising
U.S. industry officials say the long-haul 787 is selling well regardless of commercial concerns. Airbus is a leader in smaller jets, such as the A321.
Airbus orders have been delayed for months, but Faury’s comments confirm a likely change in recommending new business, while Airbus is expected to retain its title as the world’s biggest manufacturer because of larger deliveries.
Asked about reports of a large pending order from China, Faury said he did not expect a new order for hundreds of jets, but spoke of releasing previous orders.
Continues after advertising
On Wednesday, Airbus said it had reached an agreement with China to proceed with the delivery of 120 previously ordered jets.
Industry sources said Airbus was banking on an order of up to 500 jets from China to meet its internal order targets. Beijing is in talks with Boeing for a similar package.
Faury also said that the recall involving 6,000 A320 family jets was completed after problems were discovered in the planes’ software. The final number of jets that needed attention was close to 4,000 and all have now been repaired, he told France Inter.
Continues after advertising
