It's that time of year, AWB President Don Brunell writes, to compare the commercial airplane sales of Boeing and its European rival, Airbus.
And for the first time in a while, Boeing came out on top.
Boeing reported 962 orders so far in 2012, more than double Airbus' 437.
It's a welcome Christmas present for Washington state and for the nation's economy, Brunell says. But we cannot afford to be complacent.
Airbus is planning to invest $600 million in Alabama over the next five years as it prepares to assemble its A320 in the U.S. The plant, expected to produce 40 to 50 jets per year beginning in 2017, follows the opening of Airbus' first non-European assembly line in Tianjin, China, in 2008.
Boeing and Airbus are both focusing on China, and other aircraft manufacturers are gearing up to compete. The core of the aviation market has moved from the U.S. and North America to the Asian Pacific marketplace.
"Remember that other states and countries want those 85,000 Boeing jobs currently housed in Washington," Brunell writes. "And while Boeing is performing well today, we must also remember that its competitors are nipping at Boeing's heels."
