The 2008 Airbus/Boeing order battle is now closed. Airbus booked 777 (net) orders for aircraft in 2008 against Boeing’s 662. The 777 orders bring the European airframer’s backlog to 3,715 aircraft. Airbus received orders for 472 A320 family aircraft, 138 A330/A340s, 163 A350 XWBs and 9 A380s. 2008 marked a record year for deliveries as well, with 483 aircraft handed over to customers against Boeing’s 375.
Airbus also boasts a claim about the A350:
The recently launched A350 XWB won 163 new firm orders increasing the
total to 478 from 29 customers, making it the fastest selling aircraft
in aviation history.
The company doesn’t specify at what point they are measuring from, but no matter how you fold it, 478 orders is an incredibly solid start for an new aircraft program. Neither Airbus nor Boeing could’ve imagined that nearly 1400 long-range midsized aircraft would be in the books before a single one has even flown (delays not withstanding). That tally roughly matches the number of 747s delivered since 1970.
| 2008 | Gross Orders | Deliveries |
| A320 Family | 472 | 386 |
| A330/A340 | 138 | 85 |
| A350 XWB | 163 | — |
| A380 | 9 | 12 |
| Total | 782 | 483 |
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.