Airbus Orders Outpace Boeing in 2011 (BA, EADSY, LUV)

Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) took orders for 805 new airplanes in 2011. Its main competitor, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (OTC: EADSY), makers of the Airbus, took new orders for 1,419 planes in 2011.

The main driver of the Airbus total, the highest in the company’s history, was its new A320neo, a more fuel efficient version of the company’s A320 mid-range aircraft. Boeing spent most of 2011 trying to get its new 787 Dreamliner out the door, and then trying to decide whether or not to build a completely new plane to replace its popular 737 or to just put a new, more efficient engine on the plane. The planemaker finally decided on the latter course, and took the largest order in Boeing history as a result — Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) ordered 208 of the 737MAX at a list price of about $19 billion.

This year Airbus expects new orders of just 650 planes, as the burst of enthusiasm for the A320neo wanes. Boeing has not released its estimate of new orders for 2012.