Airbus leads in orders, Boeing in delivery

[TOULOUSE, France] In their rivalry as the world's top makers of passenger aircraft, Airbus captured the lead in jets ordered last year, but Boeing delivered more planes to customers.

A strong recovery in demand for more fuel-efficient jets - particularly for long-range twin-aisle models from airlines in the Persian Gulf and Asia - helped push Airbus ahead of its American rival.

Airbus said it had net orders of 1,503 planes last year, compared with 1,355 for Boeing. The total value of Airbus' net orders for 2013 stood at US$225 billion, compared with US$198 billion for Boeing, based on published list prices. That gave Airbus a 53 per cent share of the market by value.