New York, Jan 10 (AP) Airbus said Monday that it delivered 611 passenger jets in 2021, an 8% increase over 2020 but an indication that airlines are still cautious about adding new planes during a pandemic that has reduced travel worldwide.

More than three-quarters of last year's deliveries were for planes in Airbus' A320 family, which are mostly used for short and medium-length flights.

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Deliveries of wide-body, two-aisle planes continued to lag, reflecting the much slower recovery in international flights.

US rival Boeing is scheduled to report 2021 deliveries and orders on Tuesday.

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Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, said it took in a net of 507 orders last year after excluding cancellations.

Most were for planes in the A320neo group of single-aisle planes.

The company said it ended last year with a backlog of 7,082 aircraft on order.

CEO Guillaume Faury said the orders indicated that airlines are confident about the growth of air travel after COVID-19.

He said that “while uncertainties remain,” Airbus is on track to raise production rates through this year.

Airbus will report 2021 financial results on Feb. 17. (AP)

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