Airbus initiated its 2010 activity with new orders in January for 11 A320 Family aircraft and the delivery of 29 jetliners that range in size from the A319 to the flagship A380.

The month’s orders were led by Yemenia’s signing of a firm contract for 10 A320s, which follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Dubai Airshow last November.  These aircraft will replace the existing fleet of single-aisle and widebody aircraft at Yemen’s official carrier, enhancing and expanding its regional services to the Gulf States, the Middle East, Africa, India and southern European destinations.

Also during January, Airbus received an A319 order from an unnamed private customer.

The month’s deliveries included a milestone in Airbus’ 40-year history: its 6,000th aircraft handover aircraft to a customer.  This symbolic jetliner, an Emirates A380, was provided to the Dubai-based carrier at Airbus’ Hamburg, Germany facility on 18 January.

Another A380 also was delivered in January, which was the sixth received by Australia’s Qantas Airways.  Other widebody jetliners delivered during the month were A330-300s provided to AERCAP (for Aeroflot), Etihad Airways and Swiss International Airlines, along with an A330-200 that will be converted by Airbus Military into a Multi-Role Tanker Transport for the UAE Air Force.

The 28 other deliveries during the month were composed of 23 A320 Family aircraft, which were provided to: Aegean Airlines, AerVenture (for Spring Airlines), Air Berlin, Al Sahaab Aircraft Leasing (for Jazeera Airways), Avianca, BOC Aviation (for Aeroflot), British Airways, China Eastern, China Southern, CIT Leasing (for Jetstar Airways), easyJet, Germanwings, Gulf Air, Indian Airlines, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines, Tiger Airways, Wizzair and several private customers.