Airbus surpassed rival Boeing to win the annual orders race in 2010 after a last-minute airline buying spree highlighted a recovery in emerging markets and the low-fare sector.
The manufacturer said it sold 644 aircraft worth more than $84 billion (£53 billion) at list prices last year, beating Boeing’s total of 625 planes, following a surge of some 200 orders in December.
Adjusting for cancellations, Airbus sold a net total of 574 aircraft worth $74 billion at list prices compared with Boeing’s 530, giving the European firm a market share of 52%.
Airbus delivered 510 aircraft, up from 498 in 2009, topping the 500 mark for the first time. Airbus sales chief John Leahy said: “These figures show the economy is improving. We have dodged the bullet on a double-dip recession.
“Aviation is growing again because of Asia, low-cost carriers and emerging markets. The only negative on the horizon is the fuel price.”
Boeing reported 625 gross orders and 530 net orders in 2010 after more than doubling its sales from 2009 when business was left floundering by the global financial crisis.
Both firms more than doubled their order intake in 2010 as airlines staged a stronger-than-expected recovery. Airbus chief executive Tom Enders said the company would increase commercial deliveries to 520-530 aircraft this year and sell more than it delivers.
“2010 has been better than we expected. We will look at 2011 more optimistically,” he said.