Airbus has backed Boeing's view earlier this week that it expects 2009 will be the bottom of the cycle in terms of new orders.
Speaking at the Paris air show, Airbus chief executive Tom Enders said it is "obvious that orders will come down dramatically in 2009" over the 900 it booked in 2008, but added: "We think it will pick up again next year."
Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Scott Carson expressed similar optimism earlier this week, saying: "It feels to us like the middle of next year is when we will see growth return to the industry."
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Enders points out that Airbus's order backlog of 3,500 aircraft gives it seven years of production at an annual rate of 500 deliveries, saying: "This is why we are fairly relaxed about the order intake this year."
Having secured just 32 firm orders to the end of May, Airbus looks to have much ground to make up if it is to achieve its January forecast of 300 orders for the year. Chief operating officer customers John Leahy suggests he may now be regretting that prediction, which he made after jokingly looking into a crystal ball. "I'm getting new glasses," he says.
- All the latest news, images and video from the Paris Air Show
Source: Flight Daily News
