SEATTLE — At the start of 2007, industry observers figured there was little to no chance airlines would treat Boeing Co. and France’s Airbus SAS to the same order frenzy the jetmakers had enjoyed the previous two years.
But both companies have proved the doubters wrong. Each has won orders for more than 1,200 planes this year, with most coming from carriers in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, which have been expanding and upgrading their fleets.
Boeing, which already had surpassed a company order record it set last year, on Thursday added 67 planes to its final order update for 2007, boosting its total to 1,213. That tally stretches through Dec. 18. The company said its next order update will be announced in early January.
Airbus is expected to come out ahead, having logged 1,204 orders as of the end of November, the latest update available and well above its own record of 1,111 orders set two years ago.
