Boeing Outsells Airbus For the First Time Since 2018

Based on reports from each company, Boeing had more net orders than Airbus in 2025, marking the first year since 2018 that they have achieved this.

According to Boeing, they had 1,173 net orders for airplanes in 2025, while Airbus had just 889. However, Airbus outpaced Boeing in deliveries with 793 airplanes being sent to customers, while Boeing sent 600 planes. This was largely due to several major airplane incidents, including the devastating crash of an Air India 787 Dreamliner in June.

December proved to be a huge month for Boeing, though, with three major orders coming in. Alaska Airlines ordered 105 of the popular 737 MAX 10 jets in addition to five new 787 widebody aircraft, which will be delivered through 2035.

Meanwhile, Aviation Capital Group (ACG) – a firm that leases planes to over 90 airlines in around 50 countries – ordered 50 of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 jets, which are scheduled for delivery in 2032 and 2033.

Finally, Delta Airlines made an order for 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, which will be the first 787 jets to be added to the Delta fleet– and they have the opportunity to purchase another 30 planes. Currently, the airline maintains 38 of the Airbus A350, known for its comfortable, quiet, and roomy cabin, with more on order, but they are slowly working to retire their fleet of Boeing 767s while having already retired all Boeing 777s in their fleet.

In total, this year's achievement from Boeing marks a significant step forward since the deadly Boeing 737 MAX crashes of 2018 and 2019, damaging the manufacturer's reputation. Those incidents made way for an Airbus takeover, with the European manufacturer taking over the market– they currently maintain around a 60% market share, up from 50% in 2018.

Nevertheless, while large orders are still coming in for Boeing, their manufacturing capabilities are still limited. Due to the MAX crashes, they continue to experience significant oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who have also capped the number of 737 MAX planes they can produce each year.

Furthermore, major supply chain problems involving aviation parts and equipment across the globe have contributed to massive delivery delays for both Airbus and Boeing– if an airline orders an airplane now, the timeline for its arrival could stretch well over 10 years.

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Image credit to Boeing