Airbus is battling Boeing for aircraft orders

The firm, home of the Airbus passenger jets, overtook US arch-rival Boeing during the year for the first time in Airbus' three-decade history.

The achievement - driven by a late surge in deliveries - helped it to net profits of 152m euros ($188m; �102m).

EADS and Boeing both suffered following the 11 September attacks in the US, but EADS has recovered more quickly.

Operating profits, a closely-watched statistic in the business, was up 8% to 1.54bn euros, well ahead of expectations.

Change of fortunes

The results show a sharp turnaround not only from 2002, when results were hampered by heavy charges for restructuring, but also from the first half of 2003.

The company delivered fewer planes between January and June than in the previous year, as the travel industry suffered both from concerns about the war in Iraq and from the Sars virus in Asia.

But later that year the recovery came, with more than a third of its 305 aircraft being delivered between October and December.

In contrast, Boeing has laid off thousands of staff and cut its production line back.