More than a year after the airline industry began its swift plunge into the financial abyss, the number of parked aircraft remains at a near-historic high, with orders and trading activity for all types severely depressed and in some cases effectively suspended. Airbus and Boeing reported orders for 334 commercial transports in the first nine months of 2002 versus 522 in the year-ago period. The slowdown in the regional jet market has been even more dramatic, with just 66 firm commitments booked by Embraer and Bombardier through June 30 versus 175 in the first half of 2001.
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