Today, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury acknowledged a likely defeat in the annual order race against Boeing, suggesting the company’s rival might win for the first time in six years, aided by settlements over U.S. tariff disputes.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Faury said, “The fact that we have been ahead on orders for five years means our order backlog is much higher than that of our main competitor… But it is true that they have been helped by the American president as part of tariff negotiations with several countries, where plane orders became part of the resolution of trade disputes.”
Boeing reported 908 net orders after cancellations from January through November, compared to Airbus’s 700 during the same period.
Airbus is expected to retain its title as the world’s largest manufacturer through higher deliveries.
Analysts suggest that several airlines either made Boeing orders or coordinated their prearranged order announcements to ease trade tensions with the United States this year, especially in Asia.
Faury addressed reports of a large pending order from China, stating he does not anticipate a new order for hundreds of jets soon but mentioned that approvals for earlier orders are in place.
The CEO’s comments come a day after Faury stated that the European planemaker had turned a corner following the weekend recall of thousands of jets for a software fix.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
