AIRBUS celebrated the 10,000th plane sale in its 40-year history with a $5bn (£3.1bn) order from Virgin America, and claimed victory in the annual orders race with US rival Boeing.
A last-minute surge pushed Broughton-based Airbus past the US giant for a third consecutive year as it held onto a market share of 52%.
Airbus said it had sold 644 planes worth over $84bn (£52.8bn) at list prices in 2010, beating Boeing’s total of 625 after a flood of 200 orders in December and demonstrating what it called a “robust recovery” in emerging markets and the low-fare sector.
Airbus sales chief John Leahy said last night: “These figures show the economy is improving.
“We have dodged the bullet on a double-dip recession.
“Aviation is growing again because of Asia, low-cost carriers and emerging markets.”
He added: “The only negative on the horizon is the fuel price.”
The December sales spree included the first firm purchase of a revamped model of its A320 passenger jet, the A320neo, by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin America, a low-cost airline based in California.
Limping on crutches after a skiing injury, the entrepreneur staged a signing ceremony with Airbus executives for posterity, though the actual deal was concluded in secrecy at the end of December and helped pushed Airbus over the finishing line against Boeing.
The order is for 60 Airbus A320 jets including 30 A320neo aircraft with newer engines. The upgrade aims to prolong the life of Airbus’s best-selling model by offering 15% fuel savings for operators of the 150-seat, medium-distance plane.
The deal expands a provisional order announced at the Farnborough air show last July for 40 A320 single-aisle passenger planes, plus options for 20 more. Since then, Airbus has started offering the greener A320neo at a higher price.
Airbus last week announced the world’s largest potential plane order by volume from India’s IndiGo, including 150 A320neo jets.
Adjusting for cancellations, Airbus sold a net total of 574 planes worth $74bn (£46.5bn) in 2010 compared with Boeing’s 530, giving the European firm a market share of 52%.
