Airbus Jan-April deliveries fall 5%, regains lead over Boeing

PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus delivered 54 airplanes in April, bringing its total for the year to 181, down 5% from the same period a year ago but enough to re-establish an industrial lead over U.S. rival Boeing, company data showed on Tuesday.

The world's largest planemaker also sold five planes in April, all of them to undisclosed companies or private customers. That brought new orders so far this year to 161 planes, or a net total of 144 after cancellations.

Boeing, which had pulled ahead of Airbus on deliveries amid supply snags in the first quarter, said earlier it had delivered 156 planes and won 154 gross orders in the first four months.

Boeing's net orders after cancellations and conversions, which are comparable to Airbus net orders, stood at 69 aircraft so far this year.

Airbus monthly data revealed three new cancellations for A320neo jets ordered by Colombia's embattled Viva Air, which is being absorbed by Avianca, the Andean country's flag carrier.

Viva has struggled financially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and seen its situation worsen due to higher fuel prices in 2022 and the depreciation of Colombia's peso.

Airbus declined detailed comment on its order book. Avianca was not immediately available.

Airbus is aiming for 720 deliveries this year, having originally targeted that level in 2022 before lowering the goal to 700 then dropping it altogether due to supply chain problems.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Oliver Griffin; Editing by Sharon Singleton)