2012 Production freighter orders and deliveries

Boeing has now published complete order and delivery figures for 2012, and while Airbus has not yet released complete data, we are fairly certain of its freighter orders and deliveries for the year.

[Note: We have updated the article and chart to reflect the four conditional 767-300F orders placed by FedEx in June.]

As shown in the chart at right, Airbus booked five orders last year for its only production freighter, the A330-200F, including three from Synergy (for subsidiary carrier Tampa Cargo), and two from Etihad Airways. Airbus also saw six A330-200F orders cancelled by MatlinPatterson, and two swapped for A330 pax orders by Intrepid Aviation.

Twenty-five of Boeing's new orders were for freighters, including twenty-three for 767-300Fs (all from FedEx) and two for 747-8Fs (from an unidentified customer). Boeing also reported five cancellations, as Dubai Aerospace Enterprise reduced its 747-8F order from ten units to five. (We also point out that four of the FedEx 767-300F orders were swapped for conditional 777F orders.)

Freighter deliveries outpaced orders, with Boeing delivering fifty units and Airbus delivering seven. On a model-by-model basis, the deliveries were as follows:

• A330-200F: Seven deliveries (Hong Kong Airlines (via BOC) 1, Malaysian Airlines 2, MNG Airlines 1, Tampa Cargo 1, Turkish Airlines 1, Yangtze River Express (via BOC) 1)
  
• 747-8F: Nineteen deliveries (Atlas Air 4, Cargolux 4, Cathay Pacific 4, Korean Air 2, Nippon Cargo Airlines 2, and AirBridge Cargo 3)
  
• 777F: Nineteen deliveries (Emirates (via Dubai Aerospace Enterprise) 4, Ethiopian Airways (via GECAS) 2, FedEx 6, Korean Air 2, LAN 2, and Southern Air (via parent Oak Hill) 2)
  
• 767-300F: Twelve deliveries (Azerbaijan Airlines 2, DHL 3, UPS 7)

At the end of the year, Boeing’s total production freighter backlog stood at 163 units, made up of forty 747-8Fs, sixty-five 777Fs, and fifty-eight 767-300Fs. Airbus’ production freighter backlog at year-end was thirty-six A330-200Fs.

In total, Boeing booked 1,203 net orders for commercial jet aircraft in 2012, including 1,339 new orders and 136 cancellations. We will update this post with Airbus' total numbers when they become available.