Superjumbo helps Airbus close gap on Boeing
European aircraft maker Airbus said today it had received firm orders for 520 planes in 2000, further closing the gap on its arch-rival Boeing.
Airbus, 20% owned by Britain’s BAe Systems, said in a statement that the 520 orders were worth £28.5 billion. It also said it delivered 311 planes.
‘‘I’m very proud that Airbus should have achieved such impressive results during this milestone year for the company,’’ Airbus Chief Executive Officer Noel Forgeard said in the statement from Paris.
Last year marked a watershed for Airbus with the formal launch of a £7.4 billion project to build the world’s largest passenger plane, the A380 superjumbo.
The 520 orders, about 46% of the market, do not include 50 firm orders for the double-decker A380, a 555-seater which can be equipped with bars, gyms and even casinos.
Airbus hopes the A380 will challenge Boeing’s traditional dominance of the long-haul, high capacity market with its fleet of 747s.
The A380 is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2004, with the first deliveries in March 2006.
With the superjumbo launch, the competition between Seattle-based Boeing and Airbus promises to intensify. Boeing is planning a stretched version of its trusty 747 at a cost of around £2.8 billion, but so far there have been no takers for the new jet.
