The combined aircraft deliveries of Airbus and Boeing, two of the biggest aircraft makers in the world, declined by 40pc to 723 aircraft in 2020 from 1,243 planes in the prior year, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector.
The French aerospace manufacturer Airbus, delivered 566 aircraft in 2020, down from 863 planes in the prior-year period. However, the company met its internal target of delivering more than 560 aircraft for the year.
Airbus continued to lead the deliveries race against its American competitor Boeing, whose shipments declined by 60pc in 2020 to 157 aircraft, compared with 380 planes sold in 2019.
Boeing struggled through 2020 with the 737 Max model line grounded through most of the year and deliveries of the 787 delayed due to safety issues as well. Boeing delivered only 43 units of the 737 in 2020, compared with 127 planes delivered in 2019.
Airbus noted that it received 268 new orders in 2020, taking its order backlog to 7,184 units, compared with a backlog of 7,482 units in the prior year.