The numbers are out on one of the most expensive industries in modern day, airplanes.
Boeing and Airbus are the biggest manufacturers of planes, which also makes them the biggest rivals.
According to the European aerospace conglomerate, Airbus made a record breaking number of orders and deliveries in 2013 and they beat even their own estimates.
However, with respect to deliveries made during the year, they still slightly lagged behind Boeing.
Airbus delivered a total of 626 planes this past year meaning that Boeing delivered 648 planes.
However, they do not seem to be too concerned with their competition.
Fabrice Brégier, Airbus’ CEO in Toulouse explained, “We delivered at least what we expected, and in some areas like orders, we overachieved.”
Airbus received over 1,500 new orders which more than doubled the company’s expectations for the year.
The huge demand stems from a need for single aisle aircrafts, primarily for the comfort of the passengers.
These aircrafts are the majority of what the airlines ordered last year.
However, the A320 neo, which also happens to be a single aisle aircraft, is also very fuel efficient, which is another growing concern of airlines who are attempting to play their part in reducing damage to the planet.
The total number of orders for the A320 aircrafts tops 4,000.
As well as these smaller aircrafts, another model that appeals greatly to airlines due to the promise of comfort it brings to its passengers is the A380.
This model is described as superjumbo due to its large and accommodating size. The main purpose of this airplane is to provide more comfort to passengers during long haul flights.
However, both companies enjoyed renewed energy in airplane purchases from airlines across the globe. Due to a continuing growth in travel, many airlines have opted to either renew or purchase an entirely new fleet of aircrafts.
The Commercial Director of Airbus commented saying, “You guys should start looking at some of the in-flight disturbances that are starting to happen in airplanes: fights that require people to call the police.”
He continues explaining that while being squeezed between other people may be acceptable for shorter duration, being uncomfortable during long haul flights is intolerable and is a largely contributing factor to why many passengers lose their tempers.
In addition, the market has made a surprising shift with the majority of orders coming from the United States, which had previously held off any purchases due to economic struggle and emerging markets in Asia.
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