http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews...20090507?rpc=44

2-Airbus leads Boeing in slow race for orders

* 3 new orders bring net sales this year to 11 aircraft
* Airbus net orders down 97 pct so far this year

* Kingfisher switches to newer model of A350


By Tim Hepher

PARIS, May 7 (Reuters) - Airbus sold three planes and won upgraded orders for five more in April, maintaining a lead over Boeing in a race for new business that has collapsed in the past year as airlines face a demand crisis compounded recently by swine flu.

The European planemaker said on Thursday it had sold an unadjusted total of 8 wide-body aircraft in April and none of the single-haul A320-family jets that make up the backbone of many airline fleets in competition with the Boeing (BA.N) 737.

The 8 aircraft sold include 5 A350 XWBs for India's Kingfisher Airlines (KING.BO) but these were offset in the order book by the cancellation of 5 orders by the same airline for an earlier model of the A350 that never went into development.

Airbus sold 3 A330s worth $181 million each at list prices.

These included one to International Lease Finance Corp, traditionally one of the world's largest aircraft buyers which has been largely sidelined as parent AIG (AIG.N), the troubled U.S. insurer, seeks a buyer for ILFC to help repay federal aid.

The April tally means that Airbus has so far this year sold a net total of 11 planes after cancellations for 19 aircraft.

The planemaker, a subsidiary of European aerospace group EADS (EAD.PA), leads a glacier-paced race for orders against Boeing (BA.N) which reported 7 net orders up to April 28. The U.S. company is due to update its order book later on Thursday.


PRODUCTION CUTS

New business has plummeted 97 percent since the same point last year when Airbus had already sold a net 397 aircraft. Continued..