Airbus delivered 626 commercial aircraft in 2013 and expects to deliver a similar number this year. The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) delivered 648 planes last year and is forecasting 715 to 725 deliveries this year.
R&D costs on the Airbus A350, a direct competitor for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, rose 18% in the first quarter and the company is still dealing with a restructuring in its military aircraft division as it closes sites in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom following drastic cuts in European defense spending. The company will cut a total of 5,800 jobs as part of the restructuring.
Airbus’s order backlog totals €683.2 billion (about $940 billion) more than double Boeing’s $440 billion backlog. However Boeing delivered 191 new commercial aircraft in the first quarter and took orders for a net 235 more planes, a book-to-bill ratio of 1.23. Airbus is aiming for a book-to-bill ratio in 2014 of 1.0.
Boeing is having its own troubles. April deliveries totaled just 56 aircraft, 10 fewer than in March and a pace that will not get the company to its forecast delivery total. Airbus delivered 52 planes in April in line with its forecast total for the year.
READ MORE: Why a Boeing 777 Costs $320 Billion
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