Paris: Planemaker Airbus dusted off plans to increase output of its most popular jetliners after a stream of new orders brought fresh signs of a dying recession.
Yesterday's move by the world's largest civil planemaker comes as rival Boeing also considers a production hike to meet resurgent demand, though it has expressed uncertainty about whether its network of suppliers was ready to keep up.
Airbus said it had discussed with its suppliers, most of whom also supply Boeing, its goal of increasing production of its A320 narrow-body planes in various stages to 40 a month by first quarter 2012 from 34 a month a present.
The goal revives a plan first outlined in May 2007 for the most ambitious production schedule attempted in civil aviation — and would ultimately result in a completed passenger jet rolling off its French or German assembly lines every 6.7 working hours.
Planemakers won orders by the dozen at last week's Farnborough Airshow, particularly from leasing companies whose speculative decisions often anticipate the economic mood.
Finance director Hans Peter Ring of EADS, Airbus' parent company, said the industry was growing more confident as airlines in emerging markets also step up to buy. However, he cautioned that major economies like the United States did not yet have a clear-cut recovery.
"Where we were cautiously optimistic, we could say we are [now] optimistic, but we still have to be vigilant," he said. "Airline yields have recovered, the dollar is stronger and the financial sector has stabilised, so all of that goes in the right direction."
Shares in EADS rose as much as 5 per cent, making it the second-biggest gainer among French blue chips. At 1306 GMT, they were up 2.4 per cent at 18 euros.
Investors' sentiment was boosted by sweeping upward revisions in group financial forecasts.
EADS predicted a total of 500 Airbus plane deliveries this year, edging past last year's record 498. It upped its forecast for new jetliner orders by a third to more than 400 this year after bumper orders at Farnborough and a Berlin show in June.
But problems in the supply chain have been partly blamed for delays in developing Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner. Boeing chief executive James McNerney told investors last week he aimed for a decision on output in the early autumn.
- 40: A320s to roll out each month by 2012
- 34: A320s being produced each month as of now
- 6.7: working hours envisaged for each new passenger jet
