European planemaker Airbus won 460 aircraft orders in the first 10 months of the year, less than half the score by Boeing as its US arch rival continued to benefit from a surge in demand for its new fuel-efficient 737 MAX model. Airbus said net orders in the period from January to October reached 403 after taking into account 57 cancellations, compared with 1,009 for Boeing in the period to November 6. The US company has received 990 net orders for 737 narrow-body jets this year.
Boeing also outpaced Airbus in terms of deliveries in the period through October, handing over 486 aircraft to customers, including 342 737s, against 462 for Airbus. The latest data show Boeing is still on course to reclaim the top spot in commercial aircraft production from Airbus this year. The US group lagged Airbus on deliveries for the ninth year in a row last year.