Airbus delivered a total of 38 passenger aircraft in August 2020, according to new figures released today. By comparison, Boeing delivered just four-passenger aircraft during the same period. However, despite delivering more aircraft, Airbus clocked fewer aircraft orders than Boeing in the period.
The world’s aviation industry is currently facing its worst crisis since the wright brothers took the first heavier than air powered flights all those years ago in Kitty Hawk. As a result, many airlines have been cautious, placing aircraft orders and are deferring deliveries that are currently unneeded. Let’s break down the orders and deliveries by the manufacturer.
Airbus delivers 38 passenger aircraft
This month Airbus delivered a total of 38 passenger aircraft. Over half of this figure was comprised of the Airbus A320neo. Throughout the month, 21 A320neos were delivered to airlines, including Lufthansa, Air Astana, IndiGo, and Air Malta. Additionally, one Airbus A320ceo was delivered to China’s Chengdu Airlines.
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11 A321neos were delivered during the period, including to airlines such as JetBlue, Air Arabia, Air Astana, and, most recently, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. Two A321ceos were delivered to Delta Air Lines on August 28th.
The European manufacturer delivered very few widebody aircraft during August. One Airbus A330-900neo was delivered to Orbest on August 7th. Meanwhile, two A350-900s were delivered. On August 12th, French Bee took one, while Cathay Pacific took another on August 31st.
Airbus only took one aircraft order during August. On August 7th, a private customer placed an order for a single A320neo.
Boeing deliveries four passenger aircraft
Boeing delivered just four passenger aircraft in August to three customers. The manufacturer is currently restricted to widebody deliveries due to the 737 MAX’s grounding. Boeing All were Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. All Nippon Airways took one aircraft with Rolls-Royce engines. United Airlines took two Boeing 787-9 aircraft with General Electric engines. Meanwhile, Vistara took one 787-9 Dreamliner, also with General Electric engines.
Boeing’s cargo program did slightly better in terms of deliveries. FedEx took delivery of two 767 freighters, along with one 777F. Lufthansa Cargo also took a Boeing 777F, while DAE 4 Ireland Limited took another 777F.
Despite being grounded, the Boeing 737 MAX program clocked a total of five orders in August. Two aircraft were ordered by Enter Air, while an unidentified customer placed three aircraft orders.
There was also some order movement at Taiwan’s EVA Air. Earlier this month, Simple Flying reported that the airline had adjusted an order for seven Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners. Instead, it will now take four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and three Boeing 777 freighters. The three 777F orders were reflected on the Boeing order book, meaning that for August, the American aircraft manufacturer clocked a total of eight orders.
What do you make of the August order and delivery tallies for each manufacturer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
