Airbus delivered more aircraft compared to Boeing throughout February 2023. However, the United States (US)-based Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) finalized and booked more orders than its European counterpart.
Special Airbus A350 delivery
In total, Airbus delivered 46 aircraft, mainly narrow-body jets (42 units), split between the A220-300 (three deliveries) and 39 A320neo family jets (13 A320neo, 26 A321neos). The European OEM handed over four wide-body aircraft, three commercial (1 A330-900neo to Condor Airlines, one A350 to Turkish Airlines, and one A350 to China Eastern Airlines), and one A330 MRTT to the NATO multinational tanker fleet.
The Turkish Airlines Airbus A350-900 became the carrier’s 400th aircraft. Called the “One Heart”, the aircraft, registered as TC-LGH, made its first flight with children affected by the two earthquakes that shook Turkey and Syria in early February 2023.
In terms of sales, the European manufacturer’s backlog grew by 99 aircraft, with one private customer ordering an A319neo, an undisclosed airline buying 15 A320neos, and British Airways opting for seven A320neo and three A321neo.
The bulk of the orders were from Qatar Airways, as Airbus added 50 A321neo and 23 A350-1000 aircraft to its order book. These orders had been temporarily taken off the order book during the dispute with the Qatari carrier regarding the A350’s paint surface. Once the two parties reached an agreement on February 1, 2023, Airbus reinstated the orders.
A month prior, the Toulouse, France-based company had booked 36 orders and delivered 20 aircraft.
Boeing’s delivery stoppages
Throughout February 2023, Boeing handed over 28 aircraft to customers, the majority of them being the 737 MAX (24 in total). The… Source www.aerotime.aero
