Troubled airline manufacturer Airbus said today that it won 824 new orders for planes in 2006, compared with 1,050 at Boeing.
It is the first time since 2000 that the Toulouse-based company has secured fewer orders for new planes than its US rival.
But Airbus said that it delivered 434 aircraft in 2006 – leading to a turnover estimated at €26bn ($33.6bn) – which is 36 more planes than Boeing.
However, the delays to its 555-seater flagship plane, the A380, prompted Airbus to admit that it will report an annual loss for the year. The project is two years behind schedule, amid financial and managerial turbulence at Airbus and its parent company EADS.
Delays to the A380 have already cost the firm more than $6bn and Airbus said there could additional charges to come. The boss of EADS said the delays were a “major shock and disappointment” to shareholders, reported the BBC.
EADS was forced to issue another profits warning on Wednesday, its second in just four months. Its shares fell by 3% in the early hours of trading in response to the news.
The news comes in the same week that Emirates said that it may turn its allegiance to Boeing if it is not satisfied with the outcome of compensation talks regarding the delay in delivering the A380, of which the Dubai-based airline is the largest customer. Bloomberg reported that Emirates could choose Boeing for a new $20bn order if not satisfied.
Follow us on
