Airbus has had yet another stellar year with commercial aircraft deliveries in 2017 up for the 15th year in a row, reaching a new company record of 718 aircraft delivered to 85 customers.
Deliveries were more than four percent higher than the previous record of 688 set in 2016.
The 2017 total comprises 558 single-aisle A320 Family (of which 181 were A320neo); 67 A330s; 78 A350 XWBs and 15 A380s.
And just to show that wasn’t a one-off Airbus recorded 1,109 net orders from 44 customers.
At the end of 2017 Airbus’ overall backlog stood at 7,265 aircraft valued at US$1.059 trillion at list prices an extraordinary number by any measure.
Fabrice Brégier, Airbus Chief Operating Officer and President Commercial Aircraft commented: “A new Airbus delivery record coupled with our fifth best order intake wraps up a remarkable year for us. This outstanding achievement is a testimony to the dedication of all our teams, and makes the company fitter, stronger and ready for the opportunities ahead.”
With this year’s performance, Airbus has steadily built on deliveries year on year – with 15 consecutive years of production increase.
From its four A320 Family plants in Hamburg, Tianjin, Mobile, and Toulouse, Airbus is on track to achieve rate 60 per month on single-aisle by mid-2019.
It also said that the A350 XWB is on track for rate 10 by the end 2018. .
The company had a host of milestones in 2017, which included: delivery of its 100th A350 XWB; the delivery of its 50th A320 Family aircraft from its FAL in Mobile; delivery of Emirates’ 100th A380; first flight of the A330neo; certification of the A350-1000; first A321neos delivered with CFM and P&W engines; inauguration of the new A330 Completion and Delivery Centre in Tianjin, China, with two first deliveries; and structural completion of the first Beluga XL.
