ROUNDUP: Airbus lags behind US rival Boeing in January

TOULOUSE (dpa-AFX) – The aircraft manufacturer Airbus (Airbus SE (ex EADS)) delivered significantly fewer new machines at the start of the year than in December. The manufacturer was thus at a disadvantage in January compared to its rival Boeing, which was also able to land more orders. However, the problems with the important long-haul jet 787 “Dreamliner” had a negative impact on the US manufacturer last month.

Airbus delivered 30 commercial aircraft to customers in January, as the Dax group (DAX 40) announced in Toulouse on Tuesday evening, with the majority of deliveries being for the new medium-haul types A320neo and A321neo. In December, however, the manufacturer had delivered 93 machines in a final spurt.

The start of the year is usually weak for Airbus, as the manufacturer usually steps on the gas the month before to meet its delivery targets. Nevertheless, this time the group has more teething problems, because the dispute with its important customer Qatar Airways overshadowed Airbus’ order balance in January.

Although the group received new orders for 36 aircraft last month, there were also 52 cancellations. 50 A321neo machines alone were affected after Airbus itself had canceled its entire order in a dispute with the Arab airline.

The aircraft manufacturer thus drew extrajudicial consequences after the airline from the Emirate of Qatar filed a lawsuit against Airbus with the High Court in London in December because of paint damage on its wide-body jet A350 and is demanding damages.

Boeing is now benefiting from the clinch: Qatar Airways recently signed a contract with the US manufacturer for the purchase of up to 102 aircraft. The order package, which is worth up to $34 billion according to list prices, includes 50 freighter versions of the new 777X wide-body aircraft and two machines from the current model series.

In addition, the Arabian airline has signed preliminary purchase agreements for 25 medium-haul 737 Max jets and options for a further 25.

Boeing, on the other hand, delivered a total of 32 aircraft in January, according to its own statements on Tuesday – two jets more than Airbus. For Americans, however, this was the lowest level in three months. The Airbus rival has long suffered from the fact that the 787 cannot be handed over to customers due to various production defects. Boeing is still waiting for the green light from US air traffic control.

Special charges because of the model – such as compensation payments due to delayed deliveries – broke Boeing in the final quarter already a loss of 4.2 billion dollars. Most of the Boeing jets deployed in January were the medium-haul aircraft 737 Max, which was grounded for a year and a half after two devastating crashes. Boeing booked orders for 77 jets in January, 55 of them 737 Max.

Thanks to the comeback of the crisis airline 737 Max and a recovery in the aviation industry from the Corona crisis, Boeing had already significantly improved its order balance last year. For the first time since 2018, the US group was ahead of its European competitor in terms of net orders – i.e. less cancellations and transfers.

In terms of deliveries, however, Airbus again left Boeing behind last year: in 2021, the Franco-German group delivered 611 aircraft, exceeding its own target of around 600 machines. However, the level of 863 deliveries from the record year 2019 was far away.

“Even if there are still uncertainties, we are on the right track to increase production over the course of 2022,” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said in January. The group usually only sets precise goals when the balance sheet is presented, which this time is planned for February 17./tav/hbr/stw/zb/he