Struggling aerospace manufacturer Boeing scored a big win this week as Delta Air Lines ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets, in a deal that could be worth up to $13.5bn for the planemaker.
That's a strong showing of confidence in the latest version of the MAX range, which was hit with a global grounding ruling in 2019 after two fatal MAX 8 crashes in which 346 people lost their lives.
Boeing vs. Airbus
Although Boeing’s recent delivery figures for the flagship 737 are beginning to take off again, the safety concerns have put Boeing behind its fierce rival Airbus and its narrow-body equivalent the A320, which became the world’s bestselling airplane back in 2019.Competition between the two manufacturers has been roaring for decades and Delta's show of faith in the 737 MAX 10 line is a big step in the right direction for Boeing after a tumultuous few years in which the grounding was followed by COVID, which put many of its customers — airlines — on the brink of bankruptcy.
But as big as the Delta order is, Boeing was already playing catch up in July after Airbus booked a massive order from China at the start of the month for 292 of its A320s.
