Airbus, Boeing in Paris slump

THE PARIS Air Show has seen Airbus and Boeing bag 24 orders between them so far year, compared to over 2,700 by the same point in the show last year, as the global recession continues to take its toll on the battered companies.
 

Airbus pulled out all the stops to sell its new A380 with an aerial display of the double-decker airliner, but boss John Leahy was still forced to dismiss rumours he would have to lower the firm’s already modest estimate of 300 sales across all product lines this year.
 

“Of course, the figure could be less, but I’m keeping this target,” he said.
 

Boeing said the fact credit markets remain tight, preventing airlines from raising the cash to buy planes, is not expected to hit its target of 480-485 planes sold this year but stopped short of issuing a forecast for 2010.
 

But as the European and American manufacturers suffered, US engine makers General Electric, GE and United Technologies unit Pratt & Whitney bagged a massive $5.2bn (£3.2bn) order at the second day of the air show. 
 

GE Engine will supply the Abu Dhabi-based airline Atihad with 78 engines for Boeing 787 airliners it ordered at last year’s Farnborough Air Show. 
 

Engine Alliance, a venture between GE and Pratt & Whitney, will supply 45 engines for Airbus A380s. 
 

Airbus did bag an order for 24 A320s yesterday, from Qatar Airways, which should be worth $1.9bn. It also sold 10 A350-900s to AirAsia for around $2.4bn, while 16 A321s were sold for $1.4bn and five A320s worth $480m. Boeing has  not reported any orders from the Air Show.