Airbus closing in on goal

Airbus is closing in on its 2013 order target four months into the year after already winning more than 600 orders from airlines buying the fuel-efficient A320 single-aisle bestseller. Airbus, which targeted 700 gross orders for the year, opened 2013 with a prediction for as many as 650 orders. But Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy has raised the goal by another 50 planes. Airbus is most likely to exceed that target, given the Paris Air Show, a one-week event in June that typically coincides with large-scale orders. (Source: Bloomberg, 04/04/13) As if to underscore the popularity of the A320, Airbus on Monday will break ground on its newest A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala. The ceremony is slated for 10 a.m. CDT at Brookley Aeroplex.