Airbus in 2000: Record turnover and deliveries while achieving A380 launch

With more sales and deliveries than expected, an order backlog that exceeds that of the competition, and a record level of turnover, in conjunction with the timely launch of the A380 and the integration of the company, Airbus met and even exceeded all the objectives it had set itself for the year 2000.

In 2000, Airbus booked 520 firm orders worth US$ 41.3 billion, which makes it the best year ever for Airbus terms of order value. 41 customers, four of which were new to Airbus, ordered a total of 388 of the highly successful single-aisle A320 Family aircraft, two A300-600 freighters, and 130 market leading long-range A330/A340 Family airliners. Total Airbus sales in 2000 correspond to a 46 per cent share of the market, which is consistent with Airbus’ objective of winning approximately half of all orders for airliners with more than 100 seats. The year 2000 order intake also took the number of total Airbus sales beyond the 4,000 mark, with year-end total sales standing at 4,125.

These figures do not include the 50 firm commitments received from six renowned customers in the six months following official commercial launch, in June, of the all-new Airbus superjumbo. This achievement in a record time signaled a resounding confirmation that the market wanted the A380, leading to the timely formal go-ahead for the programme on 19th December. The aircraft is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2004 with first deliveries in March 2006. This launch now enables Airbus to offer the most modern and comprehensive product family for the 21st century, ranging from the 100-seat A318 to the 555-seat A380, and providing the highest degree of operational commonality for the benefit of operators and passengers.

In 2000, Airbus achieved a turnover of US$ 17.2 billion, its highest ever, while delivering 311 aircraft, or about 40 per cent of all deliveries of aircraft with more than 100 seats. This is a record for Airbus and more than announced at the beginning of the year. It also reflects Airbus’ ability to cope with sustained growth and steady production rate increases, leading to an average of 26 aircraft delivered per month. These deliveries include 241 single aisle aircraft, eight A300-600s, and 62 A330/A340s. Production rates will continue to rise in the years to come in line with the order book increase to reach an average of 38 aircraft per month in 2003.

At the end of the year, the cumulative total of Airbus deliveries stood at 2,499 aircraft, with an outstanding backlog of 1,626 aircraft. Representing more than four years of production, this is not only the highest year-end backlog in Airbus’ history, it is also slightly ahead of the competition’s.

2000 was also a very significant year for Airbus as a company, with the decision by its shareholders, BAE SYSTEMS and EADS, to transform the “Grouping of Economic Interest” (G.I.E.) created 30 years ago into a fully integrated company, effective from the beginning of 2001.

Airbus Chief Executive Officer, Noel Forgeard, expressed great satisfaction at these results: “I’m very proud that Airbus should have achieved such impressive results during this milestone year for the company,” he declared. “With the most modern airliner family offering the highest degree of operational commonality and catering to all segments of the market on the one hand, and on the other hand a new company structure which should bring further benefits to both our customers and our shareholders, Airbus is better equipped than ever to meet the challenges of the future.”