Airbus has become the largest manufacturer of airplanes in the world for the first time since 2011 after delivering 863 aircraft in 2019. The figure beat all forecasts and allows the european company to snatch the crown to its us rival, Boeing, as noted yesterday, sources in the sector.
This milestone is expected in the wake of the crisis of the 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing. However, the data record of Airbus further underscore the distance that remains for Boeing to win back the leadership.
Airbus, which in October was forced to reduce its target for deliveries for 2019 between 2% and 3%, deployed additional resources to hours before midnight to reach the 863 aircraft in the year. Their revised target was 860.
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deliveries increased by 7.9% over the 800 of the previous year. Airbus declined to comment on the figures, which still must be audited before they can be final and be published.
The manufacturers receive most of their income when they deliver the aircraft, so that the number of deliveries at the end of the year is closely followed by investors.
The count of Airbus, which included about 640 single-aisle aircraft, broke records in the industry after that reubicase thousands of workers and cancelled holiday to complete a reserve of aircraft semi-finished, which they expected to adjust their cabins.
Airbus had been affected by delays in the A321neo assemblies in Hamburg (Germany), which had caused dozens of these and other models is to be stored in hangars waiting for reconfigurations of last minute and the arrival of more labour.
This extra work has meant Airbus increases costs and could have a modest impact on their margins. However, this effect is largely reduced by the volume of aircraft delivered, and the solid profitability of the devices of the single-aisle, explain the analysts.
Even so, the difficulties to install booths have reduced the ability of Airbus to take advantage of the mess of Boeing with the 737 MAX, retired since march after two fatal accidents. Boeing delivered between January and November 345 aircraft, particularly long-distance, less than half of the 704 in the same period of 2018, when the MAX had been dealt with normally. During 2018, Boeing had delivered 806 aircraft.
The production plants of Airbus are stopped traditionally during Christmas and New Year. But this time the delivery centers and facilities termination were active until well into the afternoon of the end of the year.
