Farnborough Airshow orders top $25 billion

FARNBOROUGH, England — Plane makers notched up more orders on the third day of the Farnborough International Airshow on Wednesday - bringing the tally past $25 billion - as a resurgence in commercial aviation offset the gloom from governments' sharp cuts to defense programs.

EADS-owned Airbus took the limelight early Wednesday, booking orders from Germania, an airline based in Berlin, and Indonesian national carrier Garuda. Thai Airways also made a commitment to buy seven A330-300s worth $1.48 billion at catalog prices, which Airbus expects to be firmed up by the end of the summer.

Analysts don't expect anything close to the record-breaking $88.7 billion worth of deals announced at Farnborough in 2008, but the gathering has already exceeded the slow orders for commercial planes of around $7 billion at sister show Le Bourget near Paris last year.

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EADS beats full year profit target

MUNICH (AP) _ The parent company of planemaker Airbus on Tuesday reported an 89 percent gain in fourth-quarter net profit but warned of "very challenging" years ahead.
¶ European Aeronautics Defense and Space Co. said it expects a decline in profitability this year as it cuts aircraft prices and helps customers finance deliveries to cope with the darkening outlook for the global economy.
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