Airbus boosted its 2009 sales totals with orders for 74 new aircraft in November and maintained the delivery pace by providing 38 single-aisle and widebody jetliners to international customers. 

Pacing the bookings was the acquisition of 52 A320s by an undisclosed customer.  Other single-aisle orders during the month were an A319 Airbus Corporate Jetliner for Comlux, along with one A319 for Middle East Airlines. 

Ethiopian Airlines’ acquisition of 12 A350-900s made this African carrier a new Airbus customer and pushed total sales for the new A350 XWB extra-widebody aircraft to 505.  This milestone order was announced during the 2009 Dubai Airshow, and will provide A350 XWBs for use on the carrier’s routes to Europe, the U.S. and Asia from its hub in Addis Ababa. 

The Dubai Airshow also provided the venue for Air Austral’s signature of a firm contract for two A380s.  Air Austral is based on the island of La Reunion in the southwest Indian Ocean, and will use the 21st century Airbus flagship jetliners on flights from this French overseas department to Paris – operated in a single-class, 840-seat configuration. 

Turkish Airlines ordered five A330s in November: three A330-300s in the passenger configuration, plus two A330-200F freighters.  Also concluded in November was the sale of an A340-500 to a private customer. 

The month’s deliveries were led by the A320 family, with a total of 30 A319s, A320s and A320s received by customers that included Aerdragon Aviation Partners (for Juneyao Airlines), Aeroflot, AerVenture  (for TAP Portugal), Air Berlin, Air China, AirAsia, Alphastream AG (for Olympic Air), Avianca, Aviation Capital Group (for Air France), BOC Aviation (for Etihad Airways), China Eastern, easyJet, GECAS (for Saudi Arabian Airlines), Gulf Air, Hainan, ILFC (for Air France), Indian Airlines (NACIL), Indigo, Lufthansa, Saudi Arabian Airlines and US Airways. 

Among the eight widebody deliveries in November were four A330-200s, which were provided to CIT (for Qantas Airways), US Airways, and a private customer, along with the first aircraft to be outfitted as an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport for the Royal Saudi Air Force by Airbus Military. 

Three A330-300s were delivered during the month, going to AerCap (for Aeroflot), AirAsia X and Oman Air; while an A340-500 was provided for a private customer.

Source: Airbus