Airbus beat delivery target for last year

PARIS - Reuters

Airbus employees work on an A350 Airbus airplane at a facility in Montoir-de-Bretagne, western France. ABACA photo

Airbus delivered more than 530 jets in 2011, beating a company forecast and almost certainly maintaining its lead over Boeing for the ninth year running, industry sources said.

The European planemaker had predicted deliveries of 520-530 aircraft, up 4 percent from the previous year as urbanization and demand from emerging markets cushion both leading aircrft manufacturers from a feeble Western economy.

Commercial aircraft production continues to grow, despite uncertainty late last year over the availability of financing, and looks to have hit a combined level above 1,000 jets for the first time in 2011.

The market for jets over 100 seats is dominated by EADS subsidiary Airbus and Boeing, with China, Russia and Canada preparing to challenge them in the lower end of the market later this decade. Airbus declined to comment on its 2011 performance ahead of a company presentation on January 17.