In My Perspective

2012 was yet another impressive year for Airbus globally with more than 900 aircraft ordered, resulting in an increase in the backlog. It was a great year for deliveries with a record 588 aircraft, 10% higher than the 2011 record, to 89 customers, 17 of which were new. We exceeded our sales target of 650 aircraft with a total of 914 gross orders including: 305 A320ceo, 478 A320neo, 82 A330s, 40 A350 XWBs and nine A380s.

The A320neo is clearly dominating the global market and has been since its launch over two years ago with a current market share of 62% over the competitor. With these promising figures it is of no coincidence that the A320 Family is the preferred choice for aircraft carriers in Latin America with orders from LAN, TAM, Volaris, AviancaTaca and Interjet. The success of the neo is in line with the success of the A320 Family in the region with 60% market share.

This brings me to the continued success in our very own Latin American region. 2012 was the second consecutive record year for deliveries and orders, we achieved an order intake of 100 commercial aircraft including: 18 A320ceo, 73 A320neo and 9 A330s worth more than US $10 billion. Forty orders from Mexican aircraft carrier Interjet and 33 from AviancaTaca show just how robust the market is for the A320neo. We were also glad to welcome low cost carrier VivaColombia which changed the market when it became an Airbus operator flying five A320 aircraft and Boliviana de Aviacion with the opening of long haul routes to Europe with an A330.

As we begin our 36th year in operation in the region there is a lot to look forward to. We started 2013 with a major milestone: the entry into service of the first A330 Freighter to Tampa, cargo subsidiary of Avianca (the first freighter to fly the in Americas). A second delivery is already on its way next month. It’s a great start, and with tremendous potential for growth we look forward to achieving more record breaking results!

With more than 30 years in the aviation industry, Rafael Alonso is the Executive Vice President of Airbus Customer Affairs for the Latin America and the Caribbean region, responsible for all Airbus commercial activities and customer relations in more than 40 countries.