Airbus commercial aircraft numbers hit a special number in November. With 222 orders added last month, the European aircraft manufacturer has logged over 20,000 commercial aircraft orders on its books. The number is cumulative and represents all orders taken since the company was started. It's a great milestone for the manufacturer which has experienced a great deal of success just in 2019 alone.

The most popular jets

On Airbus' order page we can see how orders break down within that 20,000+ figure, divided by 'family':

• A300/310: 816
• A220/320: 15,865
• A330/340/350: 3,126
• A380: 251
• Total: 20,058

As you can see, with 15,865 orders, the Airbus A220/320 family of aircraft represents nearly 80% of total orders. Of course, several factors explain this huge number. Firstly, the A300/310 programs have been discontinued - and A380 production will be ending soon. Furthermore, there is certainly more demand for smaller aircraft as they fill the fleets of large flag carriers, small regional airlines, and low-cost budget airlines. Lastly, the A320 family of jets have been re-engined, giving the programs further longevity whilst allowing them to retain the same model name.

A successful showing in Dubai

Included in the November numbers is Airbus' fairly successful time at the 2019 Dubai Airshow. Taking place in the middle of the month, the bookings made at the airshow included a number of large orders from Middle East carriers:

• Air Arabia’s firm order for 120 A320 Family aircraft (including 73 A320neo, 27 A321neo and 20 A321XLRs).
• Emirates signing a purchase agreement for 50 A350-900s.
• A firm order from flynas, Saudi Arabia’s first low-cost airline, for 10 A321XLRs.

Outside of the Dubai Airshow, Airbus also took orders from Cebu Pacific as well as easyJet.

December off to a good start

We are less than a week into December and Airbus is already off to a good start. In fact, United Airlines recently placed a huge order for the Airbus A321neo aircraft. The US carrier has ordered 50 Airbus A321XLRs, with deliveries starting from 2024. At list prices, the deal would be worth $7.1bn, and represents a significant upset for archrival Boeing as it struggles with the grounding of its 737 MAX aircraft. The major U.S. airline does have a decent portion of Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft already in its fleet but overall seems to favor Boeing aircraft - especially for its long-haul services.