The Aerospatiale Matra group posted a 5 percent increase in sales for its first year of operation, including a 25 percent rise in Airbus business

1999 sales

Aerospatiale Matra logged sales worth 12,898 million Euros during its first year of operation, a rise of 4.9 percent compared with the pro forma figure for 1998.

Airbus

production rates have increased with the growing success of this family of jetliners (294 delivered in 1999, compared with 228 in 1998), bringing total Airbus sales to 5,471 million Euros. This marked a 25.4 percent increase over 1998 (19.2 percent with a constant dollar).

Helicopter sales grew 3.2 percent to 1,753 million Euros. Although this has yet to reflect the impact of major military contracts, especially for the Tiger (first deliveries planned for year-end 2003), helicopter business remained buoyant due to a strong civil market.

As announced, Dassault Aviation sales reflected the completion of a major military export contract at the end of 1998. However, due to record-breaking civil aviation sales and sustained product support business, sales totaled 1,318 million Euros, a decrease of only 6.2 percent.

Other aircraft activities, including maintenance, regional aircraft and light aircraft, rose 9.8 percent to 851 million Euros.

Space sales decreased slightly to 1,482 million Euros, a 1.9 percent drop due to slower satellite business. By the end of the year, launch vehicles were able to make up delays caused by late satellite deliveries at the beginning of the year.

As expected, Missile Systems business was directly affected by the hiatus between major contract deliveries, as sales fell 30.8 percent to 1,154 million Euros.

The Systems, Services and Telecom business, although undergoing a complete reorganization, recorded steady sales of 860 million Euros.

The Aerospatiale Matra group booked orders worth 13,907 million Euros in 1999 (excluding Dassault Aviation), bringing the order book (excluding Dassault Aviation) at December 31st to 34,671 million Euros. This is 8.8 percent higher than at year-end 1998, and equal to three years of sales.

Airbus

business continued its record-breaking pace, as orders were booked for 476 aircraft, worth 5,632 million Euros, compared with 8,357 million Euros for 556 aircraft in 1998. Orders continued to largely outpace deliveries (294 aircraft delivered in 1999 and 307 planned for 2000), boosting the Airbus year-end order book to a record of 19,829 million Euros, covering more than four years of production and representing a 49 percent share of the global market.

Airbus booked more orders in all commercial transport segments this past year than any other company in the world. In particular, it recorded 120 orders for the latest family member, the Airbus A318, marketed for the first time in 1999.

Helicopter orders amounted to 3,165 million Euros, a rise of 70.2 percent over the previous year thanks to the Tiger military helicopter contract and sustained civil sector orders. The official go-ahead for the NH 90 is expected this year.

Sales by other aircraft activities rose 45.7 percent to 984 million Euros.

Operating in a difficult market, Space ORDERS fell 29.2 percent to 1,372 million Euros. Arianespace nonetheless consolidated its world leadership by winning 12 launch contracts out of 15 that came up for bid in 1999. This gives Arianespace 80 percent of the market by volume. Matra Marconi Space remained the leading European satellite manufacturer, and it namely signed contracts for the Nilesat and Metop satellites, then added Intelsat contract in early 2000.

Missile Systems orders reasonably decreased 18.4 percent to 1,892 million Euros, following an exceptional year in 1998, featuring the signature of major export contracts (especially for missiles to be deployed by Mirage fighters sold to Greece and the United Arab Emirates). Orders were still booked at a sustained pace in 1999, however, including the PAAMS contract. At December 31st, the order book stood thus at a record 5,954 million Euros, 20.4 percent higher than the year-earlier period, and equal to five years of business.

Systems, Services and Telecom orders rose 63.9 percent, to a total of 859 million Euros.