Airbus wins 238 orders in January
Published 5:03 pm Monday, February 11, 2008
Airbus hasn’t been hit by the cooling of commercial jet orders anticipated in 2008.
The European planemaker logged 238 orders in the first month of the year, including some agreements that were announced previously. Airbus also delivered 37 aircraft in January.
After finishing a disappointing second to the Boeing Co. in orders last year, Airbus jumped out to a quick lead over its Chicago-based rival. Boeing lists 65 commercial jet orders in January and delivered three fewer aircraft.
Here’s info from the Airbus’s press release:
The January business was led by CASGC’s (China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group Corporation) booking of 110 A320s – a follow-up to an agreement signed last November. Also included in the January total were 75 A320s for Dublin-based lessor AWAS, 12 A320s and three A319s for Latin America’s TACA International Airlines, and seven A320s acquired by Libyan Airlines – a new customer in 2008 for the best-selling Airbus family of single-aisle aircraft.
Other single-aisle bookings in January included two A319s for Hamburg International and an A319 for another new Airbus customer – Atlantic Airways, the flag carrier of the Faroe Islands.
For the widebody product line, China Airlines’ order for 14 A350-900s was included in the January order book, along with four A350-800s and four A330-200s for Libyan Airlines. U.S.-based investment fund MatlinPatterson Global Advisors LLC became the latest customer for the new A330-200 Freighter, ordering six aircraft for use by certain of its airline portfolio companies, such as Varig Logistica in Brazil and Global Aero Logistics in the U.S.
Deliveries in January ranged from the smallest Airbus jetliner, the A318, to the newest and largest, the A380. The month’s activity was paced by Airbus single-aisle jetliners, involving 31 aircraft from all four members of the A320 Family. One A318 – the A320 Family’s smallest version – was received by LAN Airlines, while A319s were delivered to Germanwings (which received two aircraft), Virgin America, Hamburg International Airlines (a new operator in 2008), Iberia (two aircraft) and an unmanned private customer.
A320s were received in January by AirAsia (two aircraft), IndiGo, Wizz Air, Virgin America, AERVENTURE (Aegean Airlines), GECAS (for Juneyao Airlines and Aeroflot), Iberia, Air One, CIT Leasing (for Mexicana), ILFC (for Shenzhen Airlines and National Air Services), Air Deccan, TACA International Airlines, RBS Aerospace (for Shenzhen Airlines), and jetBlue Airways. Completing the single-aisle deliveries in January were A321s for Indian Airlines, CIT Leasing (for Qatar Airways), ILFC (for Air France), Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines.
In the widebody sector, Singapore Airlines received its second A380 in January, joining the carrier’s no. 1 aircraft, which has been providing excellent operations since its historic service introduction last October. The other widebody deliveries during the month were A330-200s for Air China and CIT Leasing (for Qantas Airways); and A330-300s for ILFC (to be operated by Cathay Pacific Airways), Qatar Airways and Lufthansa.
