Airbus crushes Boeing at Le Bourget

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) Airbus SAS scored a runaway order victory over Boeing Co. (BA) at the Paris Air Show as the revamped A320neo, launched last December, came of age with a succession of deals that climaxed with an $18 billion, 200-jet contract from AirAsia Bhd., the biggest in the company’s 40-year history.

Airbus won 418 firm orders with a list price of $44 billion, more than 16 times the worth of Boeing’s 23 contracts priced at $2.4 billion. The total of 441 sales valued at $46.4 billion shared between the companies was 86 percent higher than at last year’s Farnborough show, which alternates with the Paris event and produced 237 orders spread more evenly between the rivals.

Deals were dominated by 667 contracts or commitments for Airbus’s re-A320neo as airlines seeking to cut fuel costs rushed to buy a re-engined model claiming a 15 percent efficiency gain over existing single-aisle models. Boeing, which hasn’t decided whether to upgrade its 737 or build a new jet by 2020, fared better in the wide-body market, securing 19 contracts for the 747-8 jumbo before Airbus, the No. 1 planemaker since 2003, hit back with 12 commitments for its A380 double-decker.

“Airbus had a very good show,” said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of Teal Group, a Fairfax, Virginia-based consultant. “The success of the neo has been considerably greater than expectations, and it’s pretty clear now that Boeing has got to rethink its narrow-body product strategy and timing.” ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-23/airbus-posts-runaway-paris-order-victory.html

[Octafish]

1. Guess Boeing should've countered Mulalley. NT