Airbus Extends Order Lead Over Boeing Airbus extended its lead over Boeing in a hard-fought order contest in October, but remained behind on deliveries. Airbus said it had taken 153 orders in the month to bring the total for the first 10 months of the year to 1,265 aircraft. Boeing's orders for the same period stood at 1,102, the company said in a monthly breakdown on Thursday. October was dominated by high-profile defections of two airlines previously loyal to Boeing as Mexican airline VivaAerobus and Japan Airlines opted for Airbus jets. Boeing, which won the race on both orders and deliveries in 2012, is expected to hit back with significant sales at this month's Dubai Airshow but analysts say Airbus has the edge in this year's order battle while trailing behind on deliveries. After cancellations, Airbus booked a total of 1,215 net orders from January to October, up 14 percent from the same period a year earlier and well above Boeing's 957 net orders. Airbus had already exceeded its official target of 1,000 gross orders by the end of September, but by breaking through the 1,200 barrier it has also beaten an internal goal. Airbus continued, however, to show a blank scorecard for 2013 orders for the A380 superjumbo. Disappointing sales of the world's largest aircraft have raised questions over production and ambitions to break even on the jet in 2015. Parent EADS is expected to update investors on targets with quarterly results on November 14. Airbus delivered a total of 504 planes between January and October including four A380s that brought total superjumbo deliveries this year to 18, against a full-year target of 25. Boeing delivered 530 aircraft in the same period and last week announced plans to increase production targets from 2017 to meet strong demand for medium-haul jets. The latest industry data comes as Boeing prepares to unveil potentially record orders for its new 777X wide-body jet at the November 17-21 Dubai Airshow, subject to board approval. Industry sources say a decision on whether to launch the plane with what some estimate to be as many as 250 potential orders, including deals outside the Gulf, hinges on union and legislature approval for proposals to build the plane in the Seattle area in return for labour and tax concessions. Airbus is also negotiating to sell aircraft at the Middle East aerospace event and is expected to close a deal for 20 A380s with leasing company Doric Lease soon. Boeing's first data for early November meanwhile suggested that unidentified airlines had upgraded orders for 26 737s to the new MAX model. Southwest Airlines confirmed it accounted for 20 of those. Demand for the fuel-saving 737 MAX and the competing Airbus A320neo, as airlines try to cut operating costs, has propelled commercial aerospace through an unusually strong and prolonged upward cycle despite the financial crisis in developed markets. (Reuters)
Vanilla Air, Japan’s newest low-cost carrier has taken delivery of its first A320 in Toulouse, France, on lease from AWAS. The airline will start commercial services on December 20th from Narita International Airport to Okinawa and Taipei, gradually expanding services to Sapporo and Seoul (Incheon) and international holiday resort destinations. Vanilla Air’s A320 is configured with 180 seats in a high comfort all economy layout. The aircraft is equipped with Sharklet fuel saving wing tip devices and powered by CFM56 engines. “We are delighted to take delivery of our brand new Airbus A320,” Vanilla Air President Tomonori Ishii said. “Our aim is to be customer focussed and to offer seamless and convenient services beyond expectations. Thanks to its cost efficiency and high reliability, the A320, is the ideal aircraft to fulfil our demands.” “We congratulate Vanilla Air on becoming our newest Airbus operator,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The A320 has the lowest operating and maintenance costs of any single aisle aircraft and also offers passengers the roomiest and most comfortable cabin experience. Thanks to the Sharklets, Vanilla Air will also benefit from an additional four per cent in fuel burn savings. Vanilla Air, formerly known as Air Asia Japan, is wholly owned by ANA Holdings Inc.
Tweeted by Airbus Great news, we have set an industry backlog record with nearly 5400 aircraft! View our orders & deliveries for Oct. http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/corporate-information/orders-deliveries/?contentId=%5B_TABLE%3Att_content%3B_FIELD%3Auid%5D%2C&cHash=22935adfac92fcbbd4ba4e1441d13383
Airbus parent EADS posted higher profits and raised its forecast for new aircraft orders and deliveries on Thursday but doubts grew over production rates for its flagship A380 as recession softens demand for the world's biggest airliner. EADS posted a 22 percent increase in its underlying nine-month operating profit to EUR€2.3 billion (USD$3.1 billion). Strong demand for most types of passenger aircraft pushed operating profit at the main Airbus division up 85 percent, more than offsetting a slower performance at Eurocopter, the world's largest commercial helicopter manufacturer. But EADS confirmed it faced the possibility of cutting production of the double-decker A380 unless it could find buyers for a "handful" of unsold production slots in 2015 -- raising the possibility that a target for reaching break-even on the plane might also slip. Such a decision would have little impact on EADS's broad finances but could affect its cash flow, which was already weaker than expected in the third quarter, with the result that it now sees an outflow of cash this year. Finance director Harald Wilhelm said EADS is sticking to plans to have reached break-even on the A380 in 2015, based on 30 deliveries that year, but told reporters that a small shortfall compared with these goals "would not be a financial disaster". Airbus will freeze its plans at the end of the year and decide then whether any changes in A380 production are needed as it tries to fill production slots for 2015, he said. It was reported last month that Airbus was preparing to review strategy and output for the A380 at the end of the year after a recent dearth of orders, and could cut production to avoid having unsold jets sitting on the tarmac. Parts for the 525-seat plane have to be ordered up to two years in advance, meaning the deadline is fast approaching. Airbus is however working to finalise a tentative order from Doric Lease for 20 of the superjumbos as well as other unspecified deals, Wilhelm said. He was speaking days before the November 17-21 Dubai Airshow, but declined to predict the number of deals Airbus might win. "A380 activity has been slow to materialise, but I can assure you that it remains a priority to sell 2015 open slots and beyond," Wilhelm said. CASHFLOW TARGET CUT Emirates, the largest A380 buyer, has defended the plane and has consistently said it would like to order up to 30 more once it can unlock capacity at its Dubai hub for handling the world's largest passenger plane. It has so far ordered 90. EADS said Airbus expected more than 1,200 commercial jet orders and up to 620 deliveries in 2013, up from previous targets. EADS had previously forecast more than 1,000 Airbus orders and 600-610 deliveries in 2013. It has already reached the new order target with 1,265 gross orders by end-Oct. So far this year it is ahead of Boeing on orders but lags behind its rival on deliveries. Meanwhile Airbus is in the midst of flight tests ahead of first deliveries of the A350 scheduled for the second half of 2014 and EADS said it now expected negative free cash flow of EUR€1.5 billion in 2013, having previously planned to break even on cash flow. "This reflects the company's investment into production ramp-up and development programmes as well as recent government customer budgetary constraints," it said in a statement. Wilhelm said about one third of the shortfall in cash flow compared with the previous target was due to budget constraints among unidentified government customers of EADS, which also supplies military and space equipment. The company is planning to cut jobs while merging its military and space activities as part of a reorganisation that will also see EADS change its name to Airbus from next year. Wilhelm said chief executive Tom Enders would brief unions and investors on the details in early December. Airbus is developing the A350 to compete with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and proposed new 777X. Both companies are entering a delicate phase of ramping up production of their latest jets amid pressure on an increasingly stretched global supply chain. Workers at Boeing on Wednesday rejected a proposed new eight-year contract, overshadowing plans to launch the 777X at next week's Dubai Airshow. The US company had last month posted a 12 percent rise in its third-quarter profit and raised its full-year forecast on rising commercial aircraft production and margins. (Reuters)
JetBlue's second A321 recently arrived in the U.S. Reg is N905JB...while the first one is almost ready to enter service.
Airbus aims to have more airliners operating in Latin America than its rival Boeing for the first time next year, the European company's senior executive in the region said.
American has taken delivery of its first A321T http://www.insidesocal.com/aviation/2013/11/21/american-airlines-takes-delivery-of-its-first-a321-aircraft/
Kuwait Airways has signed a contract with Airbus to buy 25 new aircraft and lease 12 others in the biggest overhaul of its fleet since the 1990 Iraqi invasion. "The company will start to receive the new planes from the second quarter of 2014," the airline said in a statement. The airline did not disclose the value of the agreement or give details about the type of aircraft, but said that it would give a news conference on Tuesday. In May Kuwait Airways said it had signed an initial agreement with Airbus to buy 25 new aircraft and had taken an option on 10 more, saying the order would be for 15 A320neos and 10 A350-900 XWBs. The airline wants to take out of service 11 aircraft from its 17-strong fleet, which have an average age of 18 years. The Kuwait Airways order comes a year after the Gulf Arab state won a USD$500 million settlement from Iraqi Airways to end a two-decade dispute over damage caused when former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces seized aircraft and parts. (Reuters)
Hi, I wonder if they are going to announce the acquisition of Wataniya airlines assets which was mainly invented to takeover Kuwait Airlines but went south for many reasons. Now Fly Emirates is utilizing the re-built, revamped private airport that doubled as a special terminal for Wataniya Airlines. Just wondering! Cheers,
Thomas Cook Airlines launch new 'Sunny Heart' Airbus A321 plane http://www.thomascook.com/press-centre/thomas-cook-airlines-new-plane/
Fabrice Brégier, President & CEO officially opened our new engineering centre, Barnwell House, in Filton today.
Airbus booked over 100 orders in November and potentially extended its lead over Boeing, but the plane makers are neck-and-neck in this year's order race in the wake of a record Dubai Airshow. Airbus increased the number of orders taken since the beginning of January to 1,373, compared to 1,212 in the latest incomplete tally available for Boeing, which runs until November 26. After cancellations, Airbus logged 1,314 net orders in the first 11 months of the year and delivered 562 aircraft. Boeing took 259 orders and commitments for a revamped version of its 777 at last month's Dubai Airshow, but more than 200 of these have yet to be posted in the company's list of confirmed orders. Airbus won an order for 50 A380 superjumbos from Dubai's Emirates, but this is also waiting to be finalised. The Emirates A380 order marked a turnaround in orders for the world's largest airliner after a period of slack sales. Two industry sources said there was speculation that only half the order for 50 aircraft would definitely be fulfilled and that the remaining 25 were subject to some form of caveat, but Emirates and Airbus officials strongly denied this. In its latest monthly order update, Airbus confirmed an order for 50 A350s from Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways. But it suffered a setback for its A330 freighter, whose backlog has been dwindling amid weak cargo markets. While celebrating orders for five A330 freighters from Qatar Airways and one from Etihad at last month's air show, Airbus also took a cancellation for eight of the same aircraft from OH-Avion, resulting in a net drop in pending orders. The aircraft were originally ordered in 2007 by Avion Aircraft Trading, in part for Icelandair, in a deal that never materialised, and there were doubts whether the aircraft would be delivered, Aviation Week reported earlier this year. Freight markets have been in the doldrums throughout the global financial crisis but the International Air Transport Association this week reported 4 percent cargo traffic growth in October, reflecting an improvement in economic confidence. (Reuters)
We signed a MoU with Honeywell_Aero & SAFRAN to develop the eTaxi solution for the A320 Family. This is according to Airbus this morning.
Air Caraïbes commits to six A350XWBs Air Caraibes has signed a firm contract with Airbus for three A350-1000s, the largest member of Airbus’ new generation A350XWB Family. The airline will also lease three new A350-900s from ILFC. The aircraft will enter into service between 2016 and 2022. The Air Caraïbes’ A350-1000s will seat 439 passengers in three classes, and the -900 will seat 387 passengers. The aircraft will be operated on the airline’s routes from Paris to Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Marteen, Haïti, Saint-Domingue and French Guyana which are currently flown by five A330s. “We are delighted with our decision to buy A350-1000s”, said Jean-Paul Dubreuil, President of the Supervisory Board of Air Caraïbes. “We already benefit from the excellent performance and economics of our fleet of five A330s, and this new order for A350s will allow us to add capacity and give us an unrivalled economic advantage in a very competitive market”. “Having Air Caraïbes come back with this new, incremental order for the A350 XWB is great news and a strong signal that this aircraft is the industry’s new benchmark in the long-haul segment,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “We are convinced that the A350 XWB’s unbeatable economics and superior passenger comfort will be key contributors to Air Caraïbes” continued success.” ***
Emirates to be the first carrier to fly the A380 to London Gatwick http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-26/emirates-to-become-first-carrier-flying-a380-to-london-gatwick.html
