Status: 10.01.2022 8:28 p.m.
In 2021, Airbus left its arch-rival Boeing behind and defended its top position as the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer. The European company delivered a total of 611 commercial aircraft.
Airbus has defended its position as the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer for the third year in a row. The European technology group delivered significantly more commercial aircraft than its competitor Boeing in 2021.
Last year, a total of 611 aircraft were handed over to 88 customers, as the Toulouse-based company announced in the evening. That is eight percent more than in the previous year. Airbus has thus achieved its self-imposed goal.
With the deliveries, the DAX group has a solid lead over Boeing: The US manufacturer had just delivered 302 aircraft in the first eleven months.
Incoming orders recovered significantly
Incoming orders recovered significantly after the pandemic-related slump in the previous year. With 771 orders, the group collected twice as many orders as a year ago. Less cancellations, the order intake was 507 aircraft, which means that there are a total of 7082 aircraft in the order book. At the end of the year in particular, there was a clear recovery, said Airbus boss Guillaume Faury.
Short-haul aircraft in demand
Short-haul aircraft were particularly popular: the US leasing company Azorra ordered 22 aircraft from the A220 family. The planes can accommodate 100 to 150 passengers.
“Even if there are still uncertainties, we are on the right track to increase production over the course of 2022,” said Faury. Airbus plans to increase production of the blockbuster A320 to 65 machines per month by summer 2023, after just 40 machines per month at the height of the pandemic.