European Aircraft Industry: Airbus 9-mth orders top 1,000 aircraft, beating target

Airbus A35=900

Airbus orders rose to more than 1,000 aircraft in the first nine months of the year, beating its target for 2013, after the planemaker booked a raft of orders which had been pending from European airlines.

However, its order book was dented by the cancellation of three A380 superjumbos earmarked for Germany's Lufthansa , which this month ordered a batch of smaller long-distance aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing.

Lufthansa's order for the world's largest passenger jet now stands at 14, of which 10 have been delivered.
A spokesman for the airline said the orders had been "firm options," meaning they needed to be reconfirmed to be valid.

Airbus, a unit of EADS, revised its order target up to more than 1,000 aircraft in July, as airlines continue to renew their fleets with more efficient models to reduce fuel costs. Industry sources have said Airbus is aiming for as many as 1,200 orders.

Read more: UPDATE 1-Airbus 9-mth orders top 1,000 aircraft, beating target | Reuters