Airbus: The month in review: August 2016

Leading the new business was AirAsia's order for 100 A321neo jetliners, finalising an agreement announced at the Farnborough Airshow during July. This is AirAsia's first acquisition of the A320 Family's longest-fuselage version, and it brings the carrier's total orders for Airbus single-aisle aircraft to 575.

Also included in the August transactions were 10 A320neo jetliners for international lessor AerCap, along with order conversions involving five A320neo versions for Tunisair and one A321neo for Avianca. Increasing its orders for the A321ceo was global leasing company BOC Aviation, acquiring five more; while bookings for undisclosed customers involved 11 A320ceo and nine A320neo aircraft for one customer, along with three A320ceo jetliners for another.

With the new business in August, total orders for NEO versions of the A320 Family now stand at nearly 4,800 from 87 customers.

Taking the month's cancellations into account, Airbus net orders for 2016 totalled 438 aircraft through 31 August (composed of 83 A320/A321ceo versions, 288 A319/A320/A321neo jetliners, 20 A330ceo and 14 A330neo aircraft, and 33 A350 XWBs).

The sustained delivery pace in August saw Airbus providing 47 A320 Family single-aisle aircraft (including the initial A320neo to LATAM Airlines Group). Widebody deliveries were composed of seven A330s (of which three were the world's first A330-300 Regional versions, all received by Saudi Arabian Airlines), six A350 XWBs (involving the first for Thai Airways International, along with two for Cathay Pacific, and one each for Ethiopian, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines), and one A380 for Emirates.

Deliveries in August brought to 400 the total number of jetliners provided by Airbus to 70 customers during the first eight months of 2016.

Taking this latest order and delivery activity into account, Airbus' overall backlog totalled 6,869 aircraft as of 31 August.