Airbus record after surge in orders

AIRBUS could surpass its 2009 target of 300 orders after a scramble to firm up provisional orders or place new ones by the end of the year, according to industry sources.

The firm's performance comes amid signs that some airlines are starting to look beyond the downturn.

The company announced that Virgin Atlantic Airways had confirmed an order to buy six planes from the company and lease a further four from Aercap.

Airbus handed over three A380 double-decker superjumbos in December, taking deliveries of the world's largest airliner last year to ten. The total number of planes delivered by Europe's aircraft maker hit a record 498.

Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS, declined to comment on the figures or on a French newspaper report that it had booked 311 new aircraft orders in 2009, ahead of an annual group news conference to be held in Seville, Spain, today.

One source said recent reports on new orders, such as the Les Echos article, should be treated cautiously.

If confirmed, the delivery figures mean Airbus would beat its own output target and hold its lead against United States rival Boeing in jetliner production for the seventh year running.

Airbus had targeted 490 total aircraft deliveries, up from 483 in 2008.

Widely watched A380 deliveries, down from 12 the year before, are, however, at the low end of predictions, amid continued problems with production.

The company's most recent target was 13 aircraft, but chief executive Tom Enders said in late October that one or two of these could be pushed back into early 2010.

Airbus is conducting a review of the A380 production process, which faces niggling cost overruns and delays due to the high level of customisation allowed on each $328 million (203m) aircraft.

Boeing said last week it had delivered 481 planes in 2009, up from 375 in 2008 and in line with its target of 480-485 deliveries.

New orders from both plane-makers fell in 2009 amid a steep decline in air travel and freight transport, but production is still rising on the back of an order boom that peaked in 2007.

Many analysts, however, say production could come under greater pressure in 2010.

Boeing booked 263 new gross orders and 142 net orders after cancellations, mainly of its delayed 787 Dreamliner, in 2009. The US company said last week that signs of economic recovery were emerging.

At the end of November, Airbus said it had 225 gross orders and 194 net orders after cancellations so far in 2009. For the whole of 2008, it had 900 gross orders and 777 net sales