BOIENG is on track for another strong year of aircraft deliveries, just a few steps behind its rival Airbus. Even though the first delivery of the B787 and B747-8 has been pushed back to 2011, the US manufacturer Boeing delivered 124 commercial aircraft in the third quarter of 2010, comprised of 100 B737NGs, three B767s and 21 B777s. This is almost 10 per cent more than last year. Deliveries for the year to the end of September stand at 346 aircraft: 281 B737NGs, nine B767s and 56 B777s. Boeing is to deliver around 470 aircraft this year, a figure that is almost near the 2009 record of 481 aircraft. As for orders, Boeing takes the lead this year with 104 new orders confirmed two weeks ago, all for the redoubtable B737NG. The orders put Boeing's net total for the year at 392, almost triple the orders last year. Narrow body orders have dominated; with B737s making up seven out of every eight Boeing aircraft ordered this year. The US manufacturer announced in September that it will be increasing B737NG production from 31.5 to 38 aircraft per month by 2013, to capitalise on the strong long-term demand for the aircraft. Yesterday, the national carrier EgyptAir received a fourth Boeing 777- 300ER, to be used on the popular Cairo-New York route that lands in JFK airport. From mid-October the aircraft will be used on the daily route. EgyptAir have currently ordered six of these aircrafts, which include a Business Class cabin with 49 lie-flat beds. The first of these aircraft to join the fleet was delivered at the beginning of spring this year. The sixth one is expected to become part of the EgyptAir family from the beginning of 2011. Alaa Ashour, chairman and CEO of EgyptAir, said: "The three B777- 300ERS will fly the daily JFK route and on our six-times-weekly [flights] to Tokyo's Narita. We will make further changes to the schedule when we have received the fourth one." Two weeks ago the carrier took delivery of the first of eight B737-300 aircraft that had been ordered earlier. The new B737 is the 13th one in the EgyptAir fleet. But European rival Airbus comes with an amazing figure. It delivered 380 aircraft over the first three- quarters of the year, including 14 A380s and the first A330-200 Freighters. If Airbus keeps to the current production rates it may deliver more than 500 aircraft in a 12-month period. Airbus orders have been more evenly spread, thanks to a number of high-profile wide body orders. Emirates ordered 32 A380s this year, while United Airlines ordered 25 A350s and Cathay Pacific another 30 A350s. Malaysia Airlines made a solid order for 15 A330-300s. On the other hand, orders for Boeing commercial jets suffered last year during the recession. It suffered the loss of 27 B777 orders and 32 B787 orders. High margin wide-bodied contracts account for just 40 orders against 143 at Airbus.
