NEW YORK — Boeing (IW 500/13) is on track in 2014 to at least match last year's sales of commercial aircraft, according to data posted on the company's website Thursday.
But based on the year's sales through November, the data suggests the US aircraft giant will probably not overtake rival Airbus's (IW 1000/47) single-year orders record.
Boeing has taken orders for 1,274 aircraft and delivered 647 planes so far in 2014. That places it just one shy of the 648 planes delivered in all of 2013 and only 81 below the total 1,355 orders taken last year.
The record number of orders in a single year was set by Airbus in 2013 with 1,503.
On Monday, Irish discount carrier Ryanair announced that it finalized a deal to buy 100 Boeing 737s, valued at $11 billion. The Irish company has an option for an additional 100 planes.
The 737 is Boeing's best-selling aircraft and comprises more than three-quarters of 2014 commercial orders.
Boeing's latest data also showed an increase in deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner, which is made with lighter-weight components that save energy costs. Boeing delivered 96 of the aircraft at the end of November, up from 90 the prior month.
Airbus has yet to disclose figures for November. At the end of October, the leading European aerospace company trailed Boeing by 252 orders.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2014
