Airbus Conceding Defeat To Boeing Till The End Of 2025.

December 2025: European aircraft manufacturer Airbus believes it may have already lost the race when it comes to the highest number of airplane orders this year. Indeed, Guillaume Faury, its Chief Executive Officer, has already somewhat conceded defeat.

Airbus remains ahead of the United States-based aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, in terms of aircraft deliveries and the order pipeline. However, Boeing will likely take the overall crown, recording net orders after cancellations of 908 aircraft between January and November compared to Airbus’ 700.

It has been a topsy-turvy for Airbus, with the manufacturer stating that the backlog of current aircraft will last at least five more years, boasting that it is much higher than its main rival. On the other hand, Boeing has seen a boost in aircraft orders as a result of tariff and trade negotiations.

For Boeing, the strong demand for aircraft orders remains for the widely popular 787 Dreamliner. In late November, it is reported that the American plane maker still has over 700 of the widebody planes to manufacture on the books. This strong demand has helped Boeing regain the title of most aircraft net orders for the first time in six years. Faury explained:

“The fact that we have been ahead on orders for five years means our order backlog is much higher than that of our main competitor, but it is true that they have been helped by the

American president as part of tariff negotiations with several countries“.

As already mentioned, for Boeing, its successful year has hinged on the popularity of the 787 Dreamliner, which most of the major airlines around the globe continue to utilise to revolutionise their long-haul widebody networks. The capabilities of these planes, paired with their operational efficiency, mean airlines have opted for them to reconsider new markets that may previously not have been possible with traditional widebodies.

Across the Atlantic, Airbus has reveled in the success of the Airbus A321 series, including the delivery of several Airbus A321XLR jets. These are set to be a game-changer in the narrowbody market, now offering airlines the choice to deploy these aircraft on long-haul routes with much lower capacity and overhead costs.

Airbus remains the world’s largest manufacturer by deliveries and sees continued expansion with additional assembly lines in both China and the United States to support local demand. Just recently, Airbus added a second assembly line at its factory in Tianjin, which has doubled capacity to ramp up production, with an overall goal of outputting 75 planes per month by 2027.

China has been a key focus for both Airbus and Boeing, hoping to win the lion’s share of internal order goals set by the Asian country. It is estimated that more than 500 jets are poised to be ordered by one of the world’s most populous countries and economic powerhouses. Recently, the Chinese agreed to proceed with a previous order for 120 airplanes.

Airbus published its order book till November 2025, which lists the 797 aircraft for which it has received orders for this year. The largest share is for single-aisle airplanes, with big customers including United Airlines, BOC Aviation, Avolon, and VietJet Air. For widebody aircraft, Airbus has collected a total of 253 aircraft, from the A330 and A350 families, with big customers being Riyadh Air and IndiGo, and for narrow body aircraft the total order is 544.

Both Airbus and Boeing have continued to manage high demand for their aircraft while handling supply chain challenges with engines and parts, as well as labor shortages. This has led Airbus to lower its planned delivery target from 820 aircraft to 790 this year, due to these challenges.

Recently, Airbus had to grapple with a worldwide reset of many Airbus A320 software recalls, which affected thousands of A320s around the world and saw many flights cancelled or delayed, as airlines were required to upgrade their onboard software due to solar radiation interference.

Team Maverick.