Airbus delivered 566 commercial aircraft to 87 customers last year, down by a third from 2019.

However, the manufacturer said the figure represented the “resilience” of its business model.

The European giant also received a net of 268 plane orders, with 383 new requests and 115 cancellations.

Airbus currently has a 7,184 aircraft delivery backlog.

The Airbus A320 family made up the bulk of deliveries, with 446 planes rolling off production lines, while carriers also took 38 A320 models.

A total of 19 A330s, 59 A350s and four A380s completed the numbers.

In order to overcome international travel restrictions, the Airbus team developed an innovative e-delivery solution which represented more than 25 per cent of the 2020 deliveries, allowing customers to receive their aircraft while minimising the need for their teams to travel.

“Working hand-in-hand with our customers allowed us to navigate a difficult year.

“The Airbus teams, customers and suppliers truly pulled together in the face of adversity to deliver this result.

“We also thank our partners and governments for their strong support to the sector,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus chief executive.

“Based on our 2020 deliveries we are cautiously optimistic as we look into 2021, although challenges and uncertainties remain high in the short term.”

In 2020, the A220 won 64 new orders, confirming it as the leading aircraft in its category.

The A320 family won 296 new orders including 37 A321XLR.

In the widebody segment, Airbus won 23 new orders including two A330s and 21 A350s.

After 115 cancellations by the end of 2020, Airbus’ backlog stood at 7,184 aircraft.