Boeing aircraft orders fall 61%

Aircraft maker Boeing has reported a 61% drop in commercial aircraft orders for 2009.
The US-based company said a total of 263 airplanes were ordered last year, down from 662 in 2008.
But the number of commercial aircraft it actually delivered last year rose 28% to 481.
Boeing said the global recession and the resulting fall in demand for air travel was to blame for the decline in orders.

Net orders - which take into account cancellations - were down to 142 for the year.
Boeing's chief executive Jim Albaugh said that 2009 had been "not without its challenges", but said that the future was brighter.
"With signs of economic recovery emerging in 2010, we look forward to better days ahead," he said.
Unfulfilled orders stood at 3,375 by the end of the year, with 851 of those for the 787 Dreamliner.
The Dreamliner, which saw its first flight in 2009, is now slated for first deliveries at the end of 2010 following numerous delays.
Boeing's European competitor Airbus is due to report its order figures on 12 January.