EADS, parent company of Airbus, has announced its 2008 financial results.

European aerospace group EADS, parent company of Airbus, has reported “satisfying” 2008 financial results, with a record order book of more than €400 billion (around £368bn) and profits of almost €1.6bn.

The record order book partly benefited from €10bn worth from a favourable US dollar rate at the end of 2008, compared with the previous year.

Airbus also played a leading role in the figures and sold a record 483 aircraft and received 777 aircraft orders – representing a market share of 54% of all aircrafts with more than 100 seats.

Louis Gallois, EADS CEO, said: “We have achieved a number of significant accomplishments. The Group achieved a solid EBIT and an outstanding cash performance. We made significant headway in reshaping the company… The Group has regained stability in 2008 and is proving to be resilient in the face of the turbulent global economic environment.”

EADS’ Eurocopter, the leading helicopter manufacturer, also contributed to the company’s financial results, having increased its revenues by 8% to almost €4,500 million and booking orders worth €4.9bn. A reorganisation of its production lines resulted in an increase in helicopter orders and enabled Eurocopter to deliver 588 helicopters – its highest-ever number.

“2009 will be a very challenging year for our industry, but we can rely on an extremely motivated workforce and an excellent portfolio of products. Thanks to our large and well diversified order book 2009, deliveries should remain at high levels, and will give us room for manoeuvre,” commented Gallois.