Company Breaks Ground On A350 XWB Production Line

The numbers are in... and in 2008, European planemaker Airbus delivered a new record number of 483 aircraft, 30 more than in 2007. This number is made up of 386 A320 Family aircraft, 85 A330/A340 and 12 A380s.

The planemaker comfortably beat its American competitor in both sales and deliveries in 2008, with Airbus winning 777 net orders valued at US$100 billion at list prices. As ANN reported earlier this month, Boeing reported 662 net orders on the year, and delivered 375 aircraft.

The order total includes 472 A320 Family aircraft, 138 A330/A340 widebodies and nine A380s. The upcoming A350 XWB won 163 new firm orders, increasing the total to 478 from 29 customers... a distinction Airbus claims makes it fastest-selling aircraft in aviation history.

At 2008 year end, Airbus had increased its backlog to a new record of 3,715 aircraft. The planemaker also notes it has captured 54 percent of market for aircraft over 100 seats, fueled by the continued strength of A320 sales.

"We all know that 2009 will be a very challenging year for the aeronautics industry," said Airbus CEO Tom Enders. "At Airbus we are prepared and confident: our leadership team is aligned, our workforce is motivated again, integration is progressing well and we have a solid financial basis, thanks to our improvement programs, our prudent cash and production management, and our strong orderbook."

Airbus continues to reorganize through its Power8 restructuring program. In 2008, former Airbus sites in Laupheim and Filtons were sold, while German sites Nordenham, Varel and Augsburg were merged into Premium Aerotec and the French sites Meaulte and St. Nazaire Ville into Aerolia. The two companies became fully operational on January 1, 2009.

On Wednesday, Airbus broke ground on the final assembly line for the A350 XWB. The 796,529-square feet factory will house the wing-to-fuselage mate line, providing work for over 1,000 people when it becomes fully operational. First A350 XWB deliveries are slated to begin in 2013.

FMI: www.airbus.com