Airbus trails Boeing, as 6 freighter orders cancelled in cargo slump

EUROPEAN plane maker Airbus has lost six A330-200F freighters from its order book in June as the air cargo market continued to deteriorate, prompting cancellations, reports Bloomberg.

Airbus first half deliveries reached 279, including 10 for the giant double-decker A380 but fell behind Boeing's 287 orders, though handily beating Airbus year-on-year deliveries in the first six months of 2011.

Gone from order book updated on the company website was a contract placed with the Toulouse-based aircraft manufacturer in 2008 from US investment firm MatlinPatterson Global Advisers LLC.

This is the eighth A330-200F cancellation this year after US lessor Intrepid Aviation switched two contracts to passenger models. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that air cargo traffic fell 1.9 per cent in May.

The Airbus order book for it new freighter has declined from 72 in 2008 to 52 today, of which 13 have been delivered.

Airbus booked 104 orders in June: one hundred for A320 narrow-body jets from Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, a purchase first revealed in January, and four A380s from Russia's OAO TransAero Airlines (TAER).

This year, orders reached 253 aircraft, or 230 net of cancellations, lagging behind US rival Boeing, which achieved 476 gross orders and 440 net as the new 737 MAX narrow-body model accelerated sales.