Airbus Drops Behind U.S. Rival Boeing in First Quarter

Airbus dropped behind its U.S. rival Boeing during the first quarter after both companies suffered several order cancellations. Airbus lost two major orders, including twelve A350 jets from a company linked to struggling Italian airline Alitalia, and five A330s from Philippines Airlines. Airbus won 40 new orders in March and ended the quarter with 158 new orders, or 103 net orders, while Boeing won 275 gross orders or 234 net orders. Cancellations for both plane makers ran at the same level.