The 169 orders logged by Airbus in November further boosted total bookings for its A320 new engine option (NEO) and current engine option (CEO) single-aisle Family product lines, while also expanding the order book for widebody A330ceo and A330neo jetliners.
Airbus has passed the milestone of more than 1,000 aircraft booked in 2015 to date, with 1,007 net orders.
November’s deliveries of 61 aircraft to international customers involved all Airbus product lines currently in production, from its A320 Family to the A330, A350 XWB and A380.Taking into account the month’s order and delivery volume – and factoring in conversions – Airbus’ overall backlog stood at 6,837 aircraft as of 30 November, marking another industry record (and corresponding to some 10 years of production).
The new business in November was paced by the twin-engine A320 Family, with a total of 135 bookings for A320/A321neo jetliners and orders for 15 A320/A321ceo aircraft. This was led by TAP Portugal’s acquisition of 24 A321neo and 15 A320neo aircraft in a transaction that includes the A321LR (thereby positioning the Portuguese carrier as a new customer for this long-range A320neo Family version).
Also in the month’s bookings were easyJet’s order for 30 A320neo and six A320ceo aircraft, and 30 A321neo jetliners for Korean Air – which becomes a new customer for the type, and marks this East Asian carrier’s first Airbus order of single-aisle jetliners in 40 years. Completing the November single-aisle orders were the purchase of 21 A321neo and nine A321ceo aircraft for VietJet of Vietnam; along with 12 A320neo and three A321neo versions by the International Airlines Group for Spain’s Iberia.
The single-aisle jetliner transactions in November once again confirmed the worldwide air transport industry’s move toward larger-capacity aircraft, with Airbus’ longest-fuselage A321 variant accounting for 87 of the month’s A320 Family orders.
Widebody acquisitions during November were comprised of 19 A330 Family aircraft booked by four customers, and involving four different versions of this versatile twin-engine product line. TAP Portugal signed a firm order for 14 A330-900neo jetliners (positioning it as a new A330neo customer), while two A330-200ceo aircraft were ordered by the International Airlines Group for Iberia (which will become a new operator of this type).
Ireland’s Aer Lingus – which also is a member of the International Airlines Group – will receive two A330-300s ordered in November, while an ACJ330-200 corporate jet was acquired by an unnamed private customer.
The month’s transactions brought Airbus’ total gross orders during the first 11 months of 2015 to 1,079 – composed of 825 A319/A320/A321neo aircraft, 102 A318/A320/A321ceo jetliners, 99 A330ceo versions, 39 A330neo aircraft, and 14 A350s. Taking year-to-date cancellations and conversions into account, net orders in 2015 stood at 1,007 as of 30 November.
Deliveries in November were composed of 47 A320 Family aircraft, 10 A330s (including a VIP A330-200), three A380s and one A350. Among the month’s deliveries was the 10th A380 for British Airways. As of end-November, Airbus had provided a total of 24 A380 flagship airliners to customers during the first 11 months of 2015.
