Both Boeing and Airbus have trumpeted 2014 as a year of milestones and achievements as the pair prepares to lock horns for another 12 months in a battle for marketshare.
The Chicago-headquartered Boeing took out the honours for most commercial aircraft delivered in 2014 with 723, its highest ever annual total for a second year running having eclipsed the 648 deliveries achieved in 2013.
“What the Boeing team achieved in 2014 is truly unprecedented, especially in the face of fierce competition,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Ray Connor said in a statement on January 13.
“Boeing’s achievements are based on the dedication of our talented employees, the trust that our customers place in our products and the partnership with our suppliers.”
On the other side of the Atlantic, Boeing’s Toulouse-based rival Airbus finished the year with 629 aircraft deliveries, including the first Airbus A350 to launch customer Qatar Airways.
The airline was scheduled to operate its first flight with the world’s newest aircraft from its Doha hub to Frankfurt on January 15.
Airbus did claim the title for most net orders, with 1,456 booked in the 12 months to December 31, squeaking ahead of Boeing’s total of 1,432 net orders.
“2014 has been an excellent year and the teams in Airbus not only delivered on, but exceeded their targets and commitments,” Airbus chief executive Fabrice Brégier said in a statement on January 13.
“Airbus also made strong progress towards a faster, simpler and more agile company, while our strategy of incremental innovation is helping to consolidate our market-leading position in all categories.”
Meanwhile, Airbus said it would raise the list prices of its aircraft by 3.27 per cent in 2015. However, most if not all customers received discounts off the listed catalogue price.
2014 SUMMARY
Net orders:
Airbus: 1,456 (1,321 single aisle and 135 wide bodies)
Boeing: 1,432 (1,104 single aisle and 318 wide bodies)
Deliveries:
Airbus: 629 (490 single aisle and 139 wide bodies)
Boeing: 723 (485 single aisle and 238 wide bodies)
Source: Boeing and Airbus company statements
