156 totalled commands with an advantage for Airbus 661 orders

It is said that the 2009 Edition of the Salon du Bourget would have little to do with the previous. In 2007, Airbus had beaten all records keeping some 460 firm orders during the show, which had allowed it to retake before Boeing. At the end of this meeting, the two aircraft manufacturers more 1.156 totalled commands with an advantage for Airbus (661 orders). This year, the commercial Director of Airbus to considers happy if he is able to reach 300 orders here in December. At the end of April, the Airbus order book had grown to 11 devices since January 1, against 0 for Boeing. And the signature of contracts should be rare at le Bourget, both the Airbus stand on Boeing. As recently explained by Thomas Enders, CEO of Airbus, the "echoes", the priority of the sales teams is transform existing orders in deliveries to try to save others. Not what lead champagne every day.

Large tenders

So to the transportation crisis air have been added, in the case of Airbus, the crash of Air France, which should also encourage the aircraft manufacturer for moderation. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the aircraft manufacturer, which usually aligns key models in its fleet, thus planned to make the A330 to le Bourget. Boeing, thousands of layoffs announced earlier this year, and which began in the United States should also encourage its leaders to play low profit.

So far, the Euro-American game should not lose its vigour, even if it now passes by means other than announcements of orders. After more than a year of waiting, the first flight of the 787, which could take place on the eve of the opening of the show, should be the occasion for Boeing to re-brand its new twin-engine long-haul, victim of repeated delays. The previous Bourget had, him, permit to Airbus commercial relaunch the A350, competitor to the 787. Today, despite its two years of delay, the first shipments should not intervene before 2010 and 57 cancellations recorded since January, the 787 keep a step ahead of its European competitor, expected no earlier than 2013. It still amounts to more than 800 orders, against 483 for the A350.

But Airbus, who had only 13 orders of A350 by Bourget 2007, shows his willingness to continue the ascent up to reach at least 50 of market share in this segment of the long-haul jets. It should represent the largest cheese of the next two decades, with an estimated global potential of 5.900 had nine over twenty years.

The competition should therefore resume again between the B787 and the A350 XWB, but also with the Boeing 777-300, also in the interest of the future A350 family. Especially as, despite the crisis, several large tenders were launched, including by Air France-KLM and United Airlines, most recently for hundreds of long-haul aircraft of this type. In this regard, the traditional meeting of European Ministers of transport during the show could be an opportunity for Airbus to advance on the sensitive issue of State aid in the financing of the A350.