Boeing overtook Airbus on aircraft orders in 2025 after years of turmoil
A wave of airline deals pushed the US plane maker ahead of its European counterpart for the first time since 2018.
For the first time in seven years, Boeing is finally back on top in the plane-making industry — at least on orders, after years of production disruptions and safety crises.
The Seattle-based company racked up 1,173 net aircraft orders in 2025, beating its European competitor Airbus’ 889 orders and reclaiming the sales crown for the first time since 2018.
The surge was driven by a string of airline deals, often announced alongside government-led trade negotiations — including the company’s largest-ever order from Qatar Airways, announced during President Trump’s Middle East tour.
Boeing’s aircraft deliveries — often the more important metric for plane makers, given that they receive most of the payment for the jet upon handover — also climbed to their highest annual total since 2018, having delivered 600 planes last year. Still, that figure lags Airbus’ 793 deliveries, as industry-wide engine shortages continued to delay output, adding to Boeing’s own lingering issues.
Since 2018, the Boeing business has endured years of turbulence following two fatal crashes involving its flagship 737 Max aircraft, as well as a high-profile incident where a door blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 mid-flight in early 2024. Those setbacks were followed by tighter production limits and a seven-week labor strike that further disrupted output.
Under CEO Kelly Ortberg, Boeing has since focused on stabilizing production and labor relations while strengthening its balance sheet. In late 2025, the FAA eased restrictions on the company, raising caps on 737 Max production.
And the momentum has carried into this year: just last week, Boeing announced a 110-plane order from Alaska Airlines, the largest in the airline’s history, while Delta also made an order for at least 30 Dreamliners, with those deliveries set to start in the early 2030s.
