Boeing tops Airbus in aircraft orders for first time since 2018

January 14, 2026 / 9:35 AM

Sharjah24-AFP: Boeing secured nearly 1,200 commercial aircraft orders in 2025, overtaking its European rival Airbus for the first time since 2018, according to figures released on Tuesday. The US aviation giant recorded 1,173 orders for the year, boosted by 175 bookings in December alone, while Airbus reported net orders of 889 aircraft for the same period.

The surge in orders marks a significant step forward for Boeing after years of challenges linked to the 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. In 2025, Boeing delivered 600 aircraft, its highest annual total since 2018, though still below Airbus’s 793 deliveries. Boeing’s recovery was supported by closer oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration, which approved an increase in 737 MAX production to 42 aircraft per month in October.

Major airline confidence

Boeing also received a separate boost from Delta Air Lines, which placed an order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with options for 30 more, reflecting renewed confidence in the manufacturer’s turnaround under CEO Kelly Ortberg.

Despite the positive momentum, Boeing continues to lag Airbus in total backlog, with more than 6,000 unfilled orders compared with Airbus’s 8,754.