Boeing and Airbus, the world's two largest aircraft builders, booked orders for a combined total of 529 large airliners in the second quarter, up sharply from 161 in the previous three month period.

Airbus is owned 80 percent by EADS, Europe's largest defense contractor, and 20 percent by BAE Systems. The figures, which include the three month period ended June 30, showed Boeing booked 379 orders in the second quarter, while Airbus booked 150.

In 2003, Airbus overtook Boeing in terms of deliveries for the first time, supplying 305 airliners versus 281, a lead it maintained last year.

Overall, the US aerospace industry was on track to its best year in terms of orders and shipments since 1992.

The industry logged USD$98.9 billion in net new orders to June, which would total USD$197.7 billion for the year if the trend continues. This compares to USD$164.9 billion in 2004 and would be well ahead of 2000's USD$166 billion.