EVERETT — Major aircraft makers don’t just pop up overnight.
One of the world’s two leading jetliner manufacturers reached a milestone Friday. Toulouse, France-based Airbus delivered its 5,000th commercial airplane, an A330-200, to Australian carrier Qantas. The delivery took place more than 30 years after Airbus made its first delivery.
Tom Enders, Airbus’ chief executive, pointed out how long it took for the aerospace company to become a contender to rival the Boeing Co. in the industry. Airbus looks to reclaim the lead in commercial jet orders from Boeing this year.
“Not only does it require a vision, but it also requires a strong commitment to invest in the long term. This was the basis to the Airbus success,” Enders said in a prepared statement.
Airbus began its leap into the industry in May 1974 with the delivery to Air France of an A300B2 — the world’s first twin-engine widebody jet. This July brought the end of the A300 line when Airbus handed over the final one to FedEx.
Over the past three decades, Airbus has received orders for more than 8,000 of its aircraft, ranging from its single-aisle A320 on up to its A380 superjumbo jet. Airbus has a backlog of more than 3,000 orders — about the same as the backlog of competitor Boeing.
For its part, Boeing still leads Airbus in jet deliveries over its lifetime. Boeing lists more than 16,000 jet deliveries on its Web site, which includes just over 3,000 deliveries from aerospace companies it acquired, including McDonnell Douglas. Boeing has delivered more than 5,500 of its Renton-built 737 jets alone. Earlier this year, Boeing celebrated the 3,000th delivery of widebody jets — 747s, 767s and 777s — built in its Everett factory.
To obtain its market position, Airbus has put in “tens of billions of dollars and many, many years,” said Paul Nisbet, an analyst with JSA Research in Rhode Island. Nisbet noted the European company needed governmental subsidies — the basis of a trade dispute between Airbus and Boeing.
Although Japanese, Chinese and Russian entities have expressed interest in and taken steps toward the commercial jet industry, they have a long way to go, Nisbet said. Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is eyeing the regional jet market, while Chinese officials say they want to produce a widebody jet by 2020. Russian President Vladimir Putin has long pushed his fascination with aerospace as a goal for the country.
In May, Boeing’s chief executive, Jim McNerney, acknowledged that the days of an Airbus-Boeing duopoly may be numbered.
“There could be room for three,” he said.
However, McNerney said the complexity of work that the two do serves as a barrier to others entering the market. On Friday, Nisbet also made the same point.
“The technology is changing very rapidly,” he said.
Even well-established integrators such as Boeing and Airbus have struggled to keep on top of the changes. Boeing recently had to push back deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner, the first mostly carbon-fiber composite jet, because of production problems. The company not only has switched the makeup of the jet but also has changed the way the 787 is manufactured, relying on global suppliers to build major structures. Boeing’s workers in Everett eventually will be expected to piece together a 787 in three days.
Over the past couple years, Airbus has toiled to answer Boeing’s 787 with a mostly composite jet of its own. The company’s A350 Extra Wide Body aircraft, which is seen as a challenger to Boeing’s 777, will be made with carbon-fiber panels, not an all-composite fuselage. Nisbet sees that as a failure on Airbus’ part to grasp the technology that its rival uses on the 787.
“Airbus still hasn’t figured the technology out,” Nisbet said.
Even if a new jet maker could overcome the technology and financial barriers, it would still face one of confidence. Unions here in the United States have used Boeing’s 787 troubles to highlight reasons American travelers should view these new fledgling jet makers with a wary eye.
Friday’s milestone, however, was Airbus’ chance to reflect on its long road to the top.
“After a slow start, Airbus went from strength to strength, developing a highly successful airliner family which is well established on the market place,” Enders said. “The success of this family is also reflected by our very strong backlog of more than 3,000 aircraft, including the all-new A380 and A350. This gives us great confidence in the future.”
Reporter Michelle Dunlop: 425-339-3454 or mdunlop@heraldnet.com.
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