Poland among EU leaders for large plane imports - Eurostat

Last year, the EU member states bought 533 aeroplanes of 15 tonnes or more from non-EU countries to a total value of EUR 21.9 billion, with Ireland in first place for imports followed by Poland and the UK, Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, has reported.

According to Eurostat data, European airlines are buying ever more large planes, with last year's 533 purchases representing growth of 68 percent on the 2013 figure. Ireland is the leading importer with 284 large planes bought last year from third countries, representing 53 percent of all EU imports of this type. Ireland was followed by Poland (37 planes), Great Britain (34), Germany (32) and Denmark (22).

Almost two thirds of large plane imports from outside the EU came from the United States (329 units) with the remainder coming from Brazil (35), Canada (23), Japan (16), Switzerland (8), the United Arab Emirates (7) and China (6).

At the same time, the member states exported 963 large planes beyond the EU (the combined value of contracts was EUR 47.7 billion), representing 27-percent growth on 2013. The biggest exporter was France, which sold 339 aircraft, or one third (35 percent) of the total. In the following places came Germany (254), Ireland (162) and the UK (138).

More than one third of all large plane exports from the EU last year went to two countries: China (192) and the USA (169). The following places were taken by India (67), Norway (40), Russia (34) Mexico (27), Japan (24), Saudi Arabia and Vietnam (23 each).