European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has logged 119 cancelled aircraft orders since the start of the year, including 71 in October alone, company figures showed on Nov. 6.

October saw the cancellation of an order for 65 Airbus A319 airliners by the low-cost US carrier Skybus, which closed down earlier this year, an Airbus spokeswoman said.

Airbus took new orders for 794 new aircraft this year, revised down to 675 after cancellations. But it also reported a backlog of outstanding orders for 3,705 aircraft.

Airbus chief operating officer John Leahy warned in Hong Kong earlier on Nov. 6 that the firm was expecting a sharp reduction in the number of new orders in 2009 as the global economy slows.

But Leahy, who heads the company's sales side, said its record backlog would see it through the next few years.

Airlines across the world have reported disappointing passenger and cargo figures in the past few weeks, as the global slowdown begins to cut into business travel and exports.