Boeing blues add gloss to Airbus success

by ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, TOM BALLANTYNE  

March 1st 2020

Print Friendly

While Airbus was reluctant to make any direct comment about rival Boeing’s misfortunes with the 737 MAX at the Singapore Airshow last month, it was not slow to herald the spectacular improvement in its market share in 2019. Read More »

With the U.S. manufacturer reporting not a single jet sale in January, Airbus senior vice-president for marketing, Francois Caudron, said at a briefing at the airshow the European now leads its rival in all segments of the Asia-Pacific.

In 2019 Airbus wrote 460 orders compared with 46 for Boeing, giving the Toulouse manufacturer a 91% market share. It also delivered 373 aircraft, compared with 109 deliveries for Boeing. In the single-aisle sector, Airbus has a backlog of 1,853 jets (64% share), compared with Boeing’s 1,026 (36% share).

At the Singapore briefing, Caudron forecast sales of its A321XLR (Extra Long-Range) would exceed 1,000 within the next ten years. Launched at the Paris Air Show last year, firm orders for the type stand at 450. He said the XLR is proving popular in the Asia-Pacific, with five customers placing orders, including AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Qantas Group and VietJet Air.

“The world and the airlines are just waking up to the capability of the aircraft,” he said. “Having produced the technical solution that delivered the performance, it works and the customers immediately placed orders.

“I would not be surprised to see more than 1,000 XLRs being sold because this is changing the way airlines are going to operate.”

More orders are in the pipeline. Hong Kong-based China Aircraft Leasing Group CEO, Mike Poon, said during the show the lessor was considering an order for the long-range jet although a decision would likely not be made until next year. The lessor also is looking at the smaller A220.

Separately, in Montreal, during a visit to the company’s A220 factory, Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, said last month Airbus planned to invest between US$539 million and $1.08 billion this year in the A220 program.

Last month Airbus increased its equity in the A220 program, known as Airbus Canada, to 75% from 50.1%, It teamed up with the government of Quebec province to buy Bombardier’s 33.5% holding. Sales of the aircraft have been surprisingly successful since Airbus took charge of the A220 program, formerly the Bombardier CSeries, with an order book of 658 with 107 of the type delivered.