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Boeing and Airbus: Backlog quality? September 2002 Download PDF

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This year Airbus can claim that it has at least caught up with Boeing on all the main measures of civil airliner manufacturing — orders, deliveries and backlog (see Aviation Strategy, July/August, "Airshow jousting"). One lingering issue is the quality of the backlogs.

The tables on these pages come from ACAS data on firm, commercial backlogs for the two manufacturers as at the end of July.

Airbus out–backlogs Boeing by 264 units, which focuses even more attention on the upcoming 120–unit 737–700 versus A319 decision from easyJet.

Other potential upcoming orders include: bmi (737s or A320s); Virgin Blue (737s or A320s); China Eastern (A320s); Air France (777s); Emirates (777s); China Airlines (A330s or 777s); and Australian Airlines (767s).

Some observations on the backlogs:

  • Some 622 units or 41% of the Airbus backlog is committed to operating lessors, compared to 324 units or 26% for Boeing. This has implications for both delivery positions and the lease rates of Airbus equipment relative to Boeing.
  • Airbus’s exposure to the more financially troubled of the US Majors (US Airways, United and America West) is considerable: it has 109 units on order from these carriers whereas Boeing has none. Boeing does, however, have a mysterious 70 "undisclosed" aircraft.
  • Boeing dominates the low–cost carrier market. It has 262 737s on order for Southwest, Ryanair, WestJet and easyJet, equivalent to 21% of its backlog. Airbus, so far, has only won orders from JetBlue — 57 A320s, or 4% of its backlog.
BOEING’S FIRM BACKLOG
BOEING’S FIRM BACKLOG
  717 737 747 757 767 777 TOTAL
ILFC   136 5 0 0 43 184
Southwest   113         113
Ryanair   105         105
GECAS   60 1 0 1 15 77
Undisclosed   27 4   27 12 70
Continental   56 0 11 0 0 67
Delta   61 0 0 0 5 66
American   41 0 3 9 4 57
CASC   37 1     0 38
WestJet   28         28
SIA     6     21 27
JAL     3     23 26
Midwest Express 25           25
CIT Leasing   23   1     24
Garuda   18       6 24
Varig   14     6 4 24
Airtran 21           21
ANA         6 14 20
Northwest       17     17
American Trans Air   12   4     16
easyJet   16         16
Korean Air   12 2     2 16
Boullioun   13         13
Air France   0 2     10 12
Pembroke Capital 12 0         12
Royal Air Maroc   11         11
Alaska Airlines   10         10
Others (40 operators) 2 63 27 5 5 36 138
TOTAL 60 856 51 41 54 195 1257
AIRBUS’S FIRM BACKLOG
AIRBUS’S FIRM BACKLOG
  A600F A310 A318 A319 A320 A321 A330 A340 A380 Total
ILFC     20 87 105 56 52 13 10 343
GECAS     30 15 39 16 18     118
Northwest       34 9   36     79
UPS 66                 66
CIT leasing     4 9 28 6 15     62
JetBlue         57         57
United       23 25         48
Air France     15 1 5 1 6   10 38
SAA       11 15     12   38
US Airways       3 21 13 1     38
Emirates             7 6 22 35
British Airways     6 6 16 4       32
debis       9 14 8       31
SALE       3 23 4       30
Lufthansa               14 15 29
Iberia         14 10   4   28
Boullioun       10 12 4       26
China Eastern         20     5   25
Qantas             13   12 25
America West     15 2 6         23
TACA       5 17         22
LanChile         15     3   18
TAM       10 8         18
SIA               7 10 17
Virgin Atlantic               10 6 16
Asiana           8 6     14
SAS           9 4     13
SWISS               13   13
Frontier     5 7           12
GATX Capital         12         12
Qatar         6   5     11
Alitalia       10           10
Federal Express                 10 10
Others (40 operators) 3 5 13 20 57 30 21 15 0 164
TOTAL 69 5 108 265 524 169 184 102 95 1521

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