2009 delivery race tight between Boeing, Airbus

By Wire Reports - 11/7/2009


Airbus SAS, which has surpassed Boeing Co. in deliveries every year since taking the top spot in 2003, is just five planes ahead of its U.S. competitor with two months left in the year.

Toulouse, France-based Airbus said Friday it shipped 399 planes through October. Chicago-based Boeing's Web-site update Thursday showed it delivered 394 aircraft in the first 10 months.

Last year, Airbus built 483 jets, while Boeing, hurt by a two-month strike that shuttered its factories, handed over just 375.

Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy said this week that his company aims to deliver a similar number of planes in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Chicago-based Boeing has said aircraft deliveries, which is when the bulk of payments comes in, will rise to 480 to 485 this year and hasn't given a target for next year.




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