Aircraft orders not being met

TOULOUSE, France (AP) — The problem for Airbus and Boeing isn’t too few customers — it’s getting planes off their production lines fast enough to meet demand.

Together, the rivals won a record 2,754 orders last year. Airbus said Wednesday that its backlog will increase this year — even as new orders slow — and its passenger jets are mostly sold out through 2011 or even later.

Both companies have wrestled to get new models to the airlines lining up to buy them.

Boeing Co. said Wednesday that it was going to push back the inaugural flight for its much-anticipated 787 by as much as three months, delaying the test flight until the end of the second quarter, because of supply chain problems and slow progress on the assembly line.

The delay means Boeing won’t be able to begin delivering the airplane until early 2009, instead of late this year.

Airbus’ flagship A380 superjumbo has been delayed as well, and the company had to redesign its planned competitor to the 787, the A350. Airbus said it beat its U.S. rival in deliveries last year 453 to 441, though it won fewer orders, 1,341 to Boeing’s 1,413.

Despite expectations that high oil prices and a global credit squeeze will hurt the airline industry, both companies are still riding a three-year boom in the sector, partly fueled by new demand from Asian carriers.

“Cycles in this industry used to be peaks and, I guess, sort of canyons or big troughs,” said Airbus’ chief salesman John Leahy. “Now it looks like we are getting more hills and valleys.”

The last canyon followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which together with high jet fuel prices and health scares like SARS caused passenger figures to drop. While traffic is still expected to grow in 2008, a shaky economic outlook means airlines will likely remain conservative in placing new orders.