Airbus Delivers 3X More Aircraft Than Boeing

During the pandemic, Boeing   made 466 deliveries while Airbus delivered 1,376 aircraft

One of the drivers of this change is due to the delivery pause of Boeing’s 737 MAX

The recent challenges around safety concerns and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in Boeing losing ground to Airbus. Although both companies control a significant market share, Airbus has extended its dominance over the last five years.

According to data compiled and calculated by Finbold, by the end of 2021, Airbus had delivered 1,376 aircrafts under all categories from the start of the pandemic in January 2020. The units almost tripled the cumulative 466 deliveries made by Boeing over the same period.

The report highlights some of the drivers behind Airbus's extended dominance over Boeing in recent years. According to the research report:

"Although Boeing and Airbus are historical competitors, the European manufacturer gained the upper hand during the health crisis, capitalizing on the global grounding and delivery pause of Boeing's 737 MAX. Despite the 737 MAX resuming circulation, Boeing was unable to catch up."

Over the last five years, Airbus has had an upper hand delivering 3,757 aircrafts, with Boeing trailing at 2,415. Interestingly, in 2017 and 2018, Boeing recorded a total of 1,569 deliveries which was higher than Airbus' 1,518

For specific aircrafts, Boeing registered the highest deliveries for the controversial 737 MAX brand with 245 units despite the safety concerns. Elsewhere, A320neo was the leading brand for Airbus with 258 units.

In general, the two manufacturers took a hit from the pandemic and recorded suppressed orders as the airline industry was grounded globally. However, they still command a significant share of market orders thanks to their market position and they will likely explore means to expand their market position.