Airbus Sees Orders; Boeing Clears Debt 

The current year is proving to be an important one for the two leading aerospace companies, but the priorities seem to be totally different. Airbus plans a strong sales push and expects to book orders for about 250 planes in 2004 and to deliver about 300, the company said on Tuesday.

"It's soft at the present time," John Leahy, Airbus's executive vice president, told investors and analysts at a company presentation in New York. Leahy added that he expected airplane demand to improve in 2005. Airbus -- part of EADS, which was formed in 2000 from a merger of France, Germany and Spain's largest aerospace firms -- delivered 305 jets last year, ahead of rival Boeing for the first time in the history of both companies.

On the other end of the financial spectrum, Boeing seems to be focused on eliminating some of its debit and solving other cash-flow issues. On Tuesday, the company filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to periodically sell up to $1 billion in debt securities and common stock. The Chicago-based aerospace company said it plans to use the proceeds from the shelf offering for general corporate purposes, which may include debt repayment, working capital, spending and acquisitions. Under a shelf registration, a company may sell securities in one or more separate offerings with the size, price and terms to be determined at the time of sale.

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.airbus.com