Industry insiders stated on Tuesday that Airbus (AIR.PA) is expected to smash aerospace order records in 2023 following a purchasing frenzy from European airlines and an intense month of deliveries thus far.

As airlines bet on a shortage of aircraft, orders for a combined total of over 200 planes from easyJet and Lufthansa on Tuesday were likely to lift gross orders so far this year past the record of about 1,800 in 2014, the height of the previous big cycle.

Although experts claim that “net orders,” which do not include cancellations and conversions, are a more closely monitored measure of a jet maker’s profitability, gross or unadjusted orders provide a reasonable idea of the speed of market activity in a given year.

Although those numbers won’t be made public until January, the sources indicated an excellent probability that Airbus will surpass the previous record of more than 1,500 net orders.

Before a full-year statement was anticipated around January 11, Airbus declined to comment on potential end-of-year totals. Fearing a shortfall in the upcoming years, airlines are rushing to acquire new aircraft to replenish their current fleets.

According to industry insiders, Airbus and Boeing, who also revealed a significant order from Lufthansa on Tuesday, may announce further agreements this month due to the recovery in demand following the COVID-19 epidemic.

Christian Scherer, the Chief Commercial Officer of Airbus, is gearing up to take over as CEO of the civil airliner business in the new year, capping a decades-long sales career.

The most consistent sales haul in the industry throughout the 1994–2017 period was 16,000 planes, according to former Airbus sales boss John Leahy.

Turkish Airlines revealed 220 fresh Airbus orders and 10 A350-900s previously registered on Airbus’s books on Friday. The buyer’s identity was not immediately revealed. It has made it known that it intends to put a mega-order with Boeing on par.

DELIVERS CLOSE TO THE TARGET

Despite the year-end cheer, industry sources said that Airbus is also dealing with a strategic setback at Thai Airways, which is completing an order for 80 GE-powered Boeing 787s following price disputes with long-standing supplier Rolls-Royce, which powers the rival Airbus A350 and previously ordered 787s.

Regarding the continuing talks, none of the parties have offered any comments. According to a story by Reuters on December 7, the Thai airline was getting closer to signing an 80-plane contract with Boeing after increasing its demand for wide-body aircraft in September. There is little indication that a similar order for 15 narrow-body planes will happen anytime soon.

In terms of industry, Airbus delivered 623 aircraft from January to November; thus, it has to deliver an additional 97 aircraft in December to meet its yearly goal of 720 aircraft.

According to industry insiders, the number has reached about 680 planes with little over ten days remaining, which lessens the urgency of the company’s customary end-of-year rush to meet its goal.

Airbus is attempting to reach 720 deliveries for the second time since the epidemic; the first effort was unsuccessful last year due to supply constraints.

Analysts are becoming more optimistic that Airbus will fulfill its delivery objectives in 2023 after the company’s slow start to the year. However, they predict that the following year will be challenging due to a scarcity of materials and parts that would hinder the production ramp-up.