Airbus celebrates record deliveries with promise of more to come

Speaking in Toulouse today, Airbus president and CEO Tom Enders  said the company had achieved a new company record of 510 deliveries to 94 customers during 2010. And John Leahy, vice president sales said the company had achieved another record with 644 orders during 2010.

Boeing had been confident of winning the year-on-year orders battle when Airbus had only recorded 440 orders by November but a great boost in December saw more than 200 firm orders coming through and easily surpassing the previous year's 574 net order gain.

Airbus' 510 deliveries overtook its previous record of 498 set in 2009.

Enders picked a number of highlights for the company's performance during 2010 which included the additional 32 A380 aircraft ordered by Emirates in May.

Airbus' gross sales comprised 452 A320-family jets, along with 160 A330s, A340s and A350s. But the company also recorded 70 cancellations during 2010.

The Middle East has been a key driver in the growth of the company and currently has some 462 aircraft on order equating to 13% of the entire Airbus backlog. That backlog is valued at more than $480 billion at list prices.

One major new delivery will take place in 2011 when the Royal Saudi Airforce (RSAF) takes delivery of its first A330-based Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. The MRTT achieved civil and military certification in 2010 and the first of the type will be delivered to the Royal Australian Airforce during this first quarter of 2011.

Enders said that the OEM is forecasting growth of 3.5% in 2011 and 3.6% in 2012. However the biggest issue facing the industry would be the "dark cloud"of fuel prices.

Airbus believes oil will average around the mid $90s during the year but will pass $100 by the end of it.