Airbus, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, announced Thursday that it had managed to secure 2.094 net orders in 2022, setting a new record, as airlines look to fuel-efficient aircraft as they brace for further growth in global passenger numbers. In spite of ongoing supply chain issues, the company delivered 735 aircraft to clients in 2022, surpassing its target of 720, and more than double the 661 planes delivered in 2022, according to a company statement.

After Covid-19, aviation was expected to bounce back in the second half of 2023-25, but what emerged in 2023 was a return to the widebody market much earlier and more quickly than anticipated, according to a statement from Christian Scherer, commercial chief. Major orders were placed with airlines such as IndiGo, India’s low-cost carrier, which placed an order for 500 A320s – the largest civil aviation order ever – and Air India (250 aircraft) and Turkey.