Airbus has released its 2019 orders and deliveries reports. In short, Airbus had one impressive year in 2019. Delivering over 860 aircraft and netting 768 orders, Airbus notched one of the most impressive years in memory.
A quick overview of Airbus orders in 2019
The Airbus family lineup includes the A220, A320, A330, A350, and soon-to-end behemoth A380. Narrowbodies dominated orders in 2019. Of these, the A320 was the most successful aircraft model garnering over 650 new orders in 2019.
In total, Airbus logged 63 net A220-family orders. Meanwhile, the A320 family saw 654 net orders. Widebodies saw sales and repeat orders, including 32 Airbus A350 aircraft and 89 of the A330.
While Airbus logged a total of 1,131 new orders, the reduced net comes from various cancellations throughout the year. The end of A380 production marks one such source of cancellations. In other cases, customers reshuffled orders.
Airbus deliveries in 2019
In 2019, Airbus set another record for aircraft deliveries. Airbus deliveries were up eight percent in 2019 from 2018. In total, Airbus delivered 863 aircraft to 99 different customers. Here is the total number of deliveries by family:
- A220: 48 in 2019
- A320: 642 in 2019 compared to 626 in 2018
- A330: 53 in 2019 compared to 49 in 2018
- A350: 112 in 2019 compared to 93 in 2018
- A380 8 in 2019 compared to 12 in 2018
In 2018, Airbus delivered 20 A220s. However, the A220 only entered the Airbus lineup from July 2018.
Of the A320 family deliveries, 551 were from the A320neo lineup compared to 386 in the year before. And, Airbus delivered 41 A330neo aircraft out of the 53 in 2019. This is compared to the three A330neos delivered in 2018.
The A320neo soars high
No other narrowbody dominated Airbus' orders last year than the A321XLR. This new long-range narrowbody is the latest member of the A320neo lineup and has been a huge hit. A favorite amongst small airlines, like Middle East Airlines and Czech Airlines, the A321XLR was also embraced thoroughly by giants like United, IAG, American, and IndiGo.
In terms of deliveries, Airbus has had some trouble with A320neo output. However, with 551 A320neo lineup deliveries, Airbus is making some great progress on reducing the backlog for the type. At the same time, plenty of additional orders means that Airbus will be producing this type for several years to come.
Widebodies are not in huge demand
One of the biggest stories of 2019 was Airbus' announcement of the end to the A380 production. A true Valentine's Day heartbreak for avgeeks, the time of the behemoth was coming to an end. This was after less than stellar sales for the type. In fact, Airbus really relied on Emirates to keep the A380 afloat.
While the A350 family has been quite successful, the A330neo has enjoyed more limited successes. Airbus is still betting on the A330neo lineup, however. With more airlines flying the type than before, perhaps, other carriers may see the operations of these aircraft and order the type. But, as widebodies are quite expensive to order and can be a huge lossmaker on some routes, it is not surprising to see Airbus log fewer widebody orders in 2019 than narrowbodies.
Overall
2019 was a good year for Airbus. The manufacturer delivered a record number of aircraft and took on a solid number of new orders taking total backlog to 7,482 aircraft. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury had the following to say:
"I am happy to see our commercial aircraft order and delivery numbers reflecting the continuous efforts to better serve our customers and bring our competitive products and services to the market"
Ultimately, the A321XLR proves that narrowbody long-range aircraft will be a significant part of the future of flying. These aircraft are cheaper, incredibly versatile, and less-risky than large widebodies.
Now, looking ahead to 2020, Airbus needs to continue to log more customers for the A330neo and Airbus A220. And, with the potential of an upcoming Boeing NMA, Airbus needs to log as many early customers for the A321XLR as possible. 2019 was a great start, but Airbus is not quite done yet.
What do you think of these Airbus 2019 orders and deliveries numbers? Let us know in the comments!