Airbus says deliveries of new airline jets are nosing higher

By The Associated Press

Airbus says aircraft deliveries are rising slightly and airlines are ordering more planes, showing that they are confident in the long-term outlook for air travel. For now, the pandemic is still hurting international air travel. Airbus, which is based in France, said Monday that it delivered 611 passenger jets in 2021, an 8% increase over 2020 deliveries. More than three-quarters of those planes were so-called narrow-body or single-aisle planes that are mostly used for short and medium-length flights. There were far fewer deliveries of wide-body, two-aisle planes that are more commonly used for international flights — long-haul international travel remains depressed.