Airbus delivered a record total of 498 aircraft last year, which is 15 more than it shipped in 2008, the company announced today. The figure includes 402 A320-family aircraft, 86 A330/A340s and 10 A380s. Airbus Military, the military aircraft division of Airbus, delivered 16 light and medium transport aircraft.

Despite what it called challenging market conditions, Airbus also reached its order intake target. Overall, Airbus won gross orders for a total of 310 airplanes worth $34.9 billion. Its net tally of 271 airplanes accounted for $30.3 billion, it added. Airbus said its net order total equated to 54 percent of the worldwide market share for airplanes seating more than 100 seats.

The new orders include 228 A320-family aircraft and 78 units from the A330/A340/A350XWB family, as well as new orders for four A380s. Three years after the launch of the
A350XWB, Airbus surpassed orders for 500 of the new type. As of the end of last year, Airbus counted a total order backlog of 3,488 aircraft, valued at $437.1 billion, representing six years of full production.

Airbus noted that its Power 8 restructuring program again exceeded targets, delivering new gross cost savings of around €2 billion on a recurring basis. Power 8+ aims to add a further €650 million by 2012.

“Considering the economic and financial environment, we have done rather well in 2009… We plan to keep production at 2008/2009 levels, but we need to remain prudent and flexible. We are not out of the woods yet,” said Airbus president and CEO Tom Enders. “Our prime mission in the coming weeks is to secure a solid financial footing for the
A400M. After nine months of intense deliberations with our government customers, it’s time for decisions.”