Airbus cuts plane production
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Airbus will reduce monthly output of A320 series single-aisle planes to 34 from the current 36, starting in October, and won’t increase production of the widebody A330 and A340, Bloomberg reported the Toulouse-based company saying in a statement.
“We reached record production rates in late 2008, but now we see a drop of air traffic in most regions,” the planemaker’s Chief Executive Officer, Tom Enders, was reported saying. “I do not exclude further production cuts if the need arises,” he added.
Airbus achieved a record high of 483 deliveries in 2008 and aims to achieve a similar figure in 2009. The precautionary measure does not affect the 2009 Airbus delivery target. The combined production rate of the A330 and A340 models will be “paused” at 8.5 per month, Airbus said.
The A320 series includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, and has achieved sales of over 6,300 units to more than 220 customers and operators worldwide. Almost 1,400 A330/340s have been sold, with almost 950 in service with nearly 100 customers, according to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.
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