Airbus sees strong sales haul this year on Asia demand, long-range A321

Airbus is on course to end 2019 with a rise in its order backlog after netting more sales than deliveries across its major products, a senior executive said Wednesday, thanks partly to strong demand in Asia. Airbus is expected to beat Boeing in orders and, unusually, in deliveries this year as the Boeing 737 MAX remains grounded with its production now also halted. The launch of a long-range new version of the mainstay Airbus A321 medium-range jet, and a wave of business in Asia, has led to a higher-than-expected haul for Europe's planemaker. CCO Christian Scherer, who stepped up from the ATR turboprop affiliate to take the top Airbus sales job just over a year ago, hinted that Airbus would top 1,000 gross orders this year, up at least 20% from 2018. <br/>