Airbus has recorded highest sales in 2010, leaving behind its rival Boeing in airplane orders and deliveries for the third consecutive year, according to the data released by the company on Monday.

Despite cancellations of 70 existing orders, Airbus managed to retain the 2010 slot of world’s number one plane maker with 574 net new orders against 530 for Boeing, the company asserted in the statement.

Airbus, the European passenger plane manufacturer, beat Boeing with total orders worth $84 billion and a final 52 percent market share.

2010 was a good year, the market rebound and improved program performance has been particularly encouraging, Airbus CEO Tom Enders commented on Airbus’ 2010 results.

Both Airbus and Boeing received double the orders from the previous year that turned their sales around in 2010.

The future business projection looks prospective with more orders in place for 2011, because of which Airbus plans to hire 3,000 workers too this year, Enders said.

Last week, Airbus signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India's economy carrier Indigo for 180 eco-efficient Airbus A320 aircrafts, stating it as the largest single firm order number for large jets in commercial aviation history.

Airbus also signed a contract with Virgin America for 60 Airbus A320 jets during the annual Airbus news conference at Colomiers held near Toulouse on Monday, in which Virgin America unveiled a $5 billion plane order with Airbus that included the 10,000th aircraft to be sold in the plane maker’s 40-year history, Reuters reported.

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