Higher plane
Airbus flew further ahead of Boeing last year for commercial aircraft deliveries, reporting 735 plane shipments and receiving a record 2,094 net orders; its closest rival in the air space, on the other hand, delivered just 528 units, with the plane-maker still suffering from a string of incidents involving its flagship Max models — not least the recent mid-air cabin panel blow out in January.
To compound Boeing’s woes, Airbus also forecast 800 deliveries in 2024: almost certainly enough to see it retain the top manufacturer spot for the 6th consecutive year, after the fatal 737 Max crashes of 2018 and 2019 saw the Boeing jets grounded worldwide for 20 months and orders wane.
Turbulence
Even though the European aviation giant is extending its lead over its American counterpart, the skies haven’t been completely clear for Airbus either. Indeed, CEO Guillaume Faury described the company’s supply chain as a “world of bottlenecks”, suggesting that Airbus might struggle making headway on its mounting backlog of ~8,600 commercial aircraft orders for some time.
