Aircraft giant, Airbus, said it delivered 766 commercial aircraft to 86 customers around the world in 2024, adding that the commercial aircraft business registered 878 gross new orders.

As a result, its 2024 year-end backlog stood at 8,658 aircraft. “We achieved strong order intake across all businesses in 2024, with a book-to-bill confirming the solid demand for our products and services.

We delivered on our 2024 guidance in what was a testing year for Airbus. “We refocused our efforts on key priorities, notably the production ramp-up and the transformation of Defence and Space.

We continue to pursue profitable growth and our decarbonisation ambition. The 2024 financial results and the level of confidence we have in our future performance support our proposal for an increased dividend,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer.

He noted that Airbus Helicopters registered 450 net orders (2023: 393 units), with a book-to-bill ratio both in units and value highlighting strong demand for the Division’s platforms.

There was also good order intake for helicopter services. Airbus Defence and Space’s order intake by value increased to a record € 16.7 billion (2023: € 15.7 billion), corresponding to a book-to-bill of around 1.4.

Fourth quarter orders included 25 additional Eurofighter military aircraft for Spain. Consolidated revenues increased 6% year-on-year to € 69.2 billion (2023: € 65.4 billion). A total of 766 commercial aircraft were delivered (2023: 735 aircraft), comprising 75 A220s, 602 A320 Family, 32 A330s and 57 A350s.

Revenues generated by Airbus’ commercial aircraft activities increased six per cent to €50.6 billion, mainly reflecting the higher number of deliveries.

Airbus Helicopters’ revenues increased 8% to €7.9 billion, reflecting higher deliveries of 361 units (2023: 346 units), a solid performance across programmes as well as growth in services.