Airbus delivered 635 aircraft to 85 customers in 2015, beating 2014’s record, and it is aiming to deliver 650 in 2016.
The manufacturer says of the 635 aircraft, 491 were A320 Family, 103 were A330s, 27 were A380s and 14 were A350 XWBs. Airbus says it received 1,036 net orders from 53 customers in 2015, of which 897 were for single-aisle aircraft and 139 for widebodies. It has a backlog of 6,787 aircraft worth $996.3 billion.
Airbus president and chief executive officer, Fabrice Bregier says: “This commercial and industry performance unequivocally proves that global demand for our aircraft has remained resilient. In 2015 Airbus has also laid firm foundations for the future, increasing the capability and variety of the aircraft which we can offer to our customers.”
Airbus says it achieved important milestones in 2015 including getting the A320neo certified by aviation authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. It delivered 14 A350s and major components and structures are taking shape on the -1000 variant. The first parts for the A330neo started production and the A380 broke even for the first time since it took flight 10 years ago.
The first Airbus factory opened in the US in Mobile, Alabama, which will be producing up to 50 A320 Family aircraft a year by 2018. New versions of three aircrafts were announced, a long range A321neo with potential for transatlantic operations, a regional A330 for flights up to 3,000 nautical miles, and an ultra-long range A350-900 capable of flying for 19 hours non-stop.
On 1 January, Airbus announced prices increases of 1.1 per cent across the production line. The cheapest aircraft available is the A318, at $75.1 million, and the A380-800 is the most expensive, at $432.6 million. The A330-200 Freighter now retails at $234.7 million.
Airbus chief operating officer, customers, John Leahy says: “Our new 2016 price increase reflects the strong appetite from customers around the globe for Airbus’ comprehensive, modern and innovative product range.”
“We see demand for our aircraft continuing to grow across all size categories as our reliable, efficient product line enables customers to grow their businesses profitability.”
