Boeing 1,044 orders in 2007, challenges Airbus all-time sales record - and Middle East airlines make it possible

For the third year in a row, Boeing has achieved its all time record sales, yesterday reporting it has received 1,047 net orders for commercial aircraft so far in 2007, exceeding its 2006 total of 1,044 orders. In turn, that exceeded 2005's previous record of 1,002.

Boeing orders this year include 580 B737s and 290 B787 Dreamliners. The pre-launch sales for the B787 are the highest ever for a new type, at 736, to date; this number is sure to increase before the aircraft flies. Although delayed, the B787 should make its appearance commercially in early 2009.

Meanwhile Airbus has this year received orders for 1,021 aircraft, with 16 A380s, and, following Emirates’ order for of the new long haul A35XWB, Airbus hopes to exceed 300 orders for the smaller twinjet this year. The European manufacturer too is within shouting distance of its 2005 order record of 1,055 (in 2006, it lagged Boeing, booking a lower 790 units).

Middle East airlines have outstanding orders for a total of 502 Airbus orders at present (not all ordered in 2007). Recent orders at the Dubai Airshow gave Airbus a major boost, with 163 firm orders, including the manufacturer’s largest order ever by value from Emirates Airline – with 70 A350XWBs and a further 11 A380s. The A380 order book was boosted by the first order for a private A380, placed by HRH Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia.

Commitments were received from a further 20 booked to NAS, with newly emerged DAE Capital taking 70 for its fledgling leasing operation. A commitment for 22 aircraft from Saudi Arabian Airlines was the first in a quarter century from the Saudi flag carrier, signalling the revival of the older airlines in the region, as liberalisation spreads quickly.

LCCs also featured heavily with another 34 A320 commitments from Air Arabia, 8 from Air Blue, 9 from Nile Air and four from private customers.

Although typically a strong market for Boeing in the past, it has not fared so well this year, with only 24 firm orders to 31 October, with 22 of those heading to leasing company ALAFCO, for 16 B787s and 6 B737-800s; the other two orders were to Royal Jordanian, both for B787-8s.

In 2005, Airbus' 1,055 orders combined with Boeing's 1,002 to make a previous record combined total for the major manufacturers, of 2,057 firm orders. This fell to a joint 1,834 in 2006. But with this year’s tally already at 2,068, the record may well be set for many years to come.

It won’t be until there is larger airline market base that a sequence of sales years like the last three years may be repeated, probably well into the middle of next decade. But it is a near certainty that both manufacturers will in the meantime be spending a lot of their sales time in the Middle East. There are more sales to come, as the newer airlines, including LCCs, combine with the longer established flag carriers in the increasingly liberal aviation environment sweeping the region.

Date posted: 23-Nov-07