Bracing Ourselves for a Busy 2011

After years and years of attending the Paris Airshow, 2011 will clearly stand out. This year Airbus set a new record for any commercial aircraft manufacturer at any air show ever. By now you have seen the numbers --730 in orders and commitments from 16 customers worth US$72 billion.

The Airshow’s success reflects a strong revival in the aviation industry. I am especially happy to see the Latin America region taking part in the limelight. With 71 orders and commitments, our region accounted for about 10 percent of Airbus’ order book at the show. Halfway into the year, Airbus has already sold more aircraft to Latin America airline customers than in all of 2010. And our incredible success is only telling of what’s to come, as I expect we will close the year with record orders.

Like the majority of customer airlines, AviancaTaca and LAN both opted for the economic benefits of the fuel-efficient A320neo, joining TAM, who signed an MoU for 22 A320neo a couple of months ago. The trend could not be more clear -- high oil prices are forcing airlines to turn to innovative fuel-efficient technology. After more than 1,000 orders, it appears that the new norm is to save at least 15 percent on fuel costs.

But even with the extraordinary success of the A320neo, I expect new wide body aircraft, both passenger and freighter, to make up part of our order book by year’s end to meet growing demand. According to IATA’s latest air traffic figures, strong economic growth and increased travel and trade flows to North America and across the Pacific helped Latin American carriers experience the fastest international growth in May - -up 21.3% compared to the same time last year and the fastest capacity expansion at 15.2%.

So hold on, because 2011 is shaping up to be a heck of a ride.

With more than 30 years in the aviation industry, Rafael Alonso is the Senior 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.