PARIS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Airbus delivered 766

airliners in 2024 and looked certain to maintain leadership of

the jetmaking industry for a sixth year as arch-rival Boeing ( BA )

recovers cautiously from a prolonged internal crisis,

company data showed on Thursday.

The European planemaker fell fractionally short of a

headline target of "around 770" jets but was expected to claim

victory after leaving itself a margin for error as global supply

chains remain hampered by parts and labour shortages.

The widely watched deliveries, confirming a provisional

tally of 766 jets reported by Reuters, marked a slowdown in

Airbus' industrial recovery from the pandemic, with annual

growth more than halving to 4% from 11% a year earlier.

Although Boeing ( BA ) has yet to report annual data, a cautious

ramp-up and regulatory curbs following a mid-air blowout on an

Alaska Airlines jet one year ago had already left an

unbridgeable gap between Boeing ( BA ) and Airbus deliveries for 2024.

Analysts say the two planemakers continue to compete

aggressively for new orders, however.

Airbus posted 878 gross orders or a net total of 826 after

cancellations, down 61% from a record 2023. By end-November,

Boeing ( BA ) had 370 net orders after cancellations.