Boeing Overtakes Airbus in Annual Orders Marking Major 2025 Turnaround

2026-01-14 companies

Arlington, Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
Boeing secured 1,173 net orders in 2025, outselling Airbus for the first time since 2018. This pivotal market shift signals a robust recovery, though Airbus retains the lead in total deliveries.

A Resurgence in Demand

The 2025 figures represent a dramatic reversal of fortune for the Arlington, Virginia-based manufacturer. Compared to the previous year’s total of 377 net orders, Boeing’s 2025 performance marks a surge of approximately 211.141 percent [7]. This momentum was particularly evident in the final weeks of the year; in December 2025 alone, the company logged 174 gross orders, signaling renewed confidence from major carriers [1]. The sales momentum has immediately carried over into 2026. On January 13, 2026, Delta Air Lines (DAL) announced a deal to purchase 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners with options for 30 more, marking the carrier’s first direct order for the widebody jet [8]. This follows a finalized agreement announced last week by Alaska Airlines (ALK) for more than 100 737 MAX aircraft, further cementing the manufacturer’s order book recovery [1].

Production Realities and Delivery Lag

While Boeing has claimed victory in sales, it continues to trail its European competitor in getting planes into the hands of customers. Airbus remained the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer by output for the seventh consecutive year, delivering 793 jets in 2025 compared to Boeing’s 600 [7]. However, Boeing’s delivery numbers indicate a stabilizing production system; the 600 deliveries represent a 72.414 percent increase over the 348 aircraft delivered in 2024 [7]. This total is the company’s highest annual delivery figure since 2018, the year prior to the widespread grounding of the 737 MAX fleet [1][7].

Strategic Wins and Political Tailwinds

External factors have also played a distinct role in Boeing’s commercial resurgence. The company’s order book benefited substantially from the geopolitical landscape, with reports indicating that trade negotiations led by President Donald Trump helped leverage aerospace deals with partners such as Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar [4]. Notably, the 2025 tally includes the largest order in Boeing’s history from Qatar Airways, which was unveiled during a presidential tour of the Middle East in May [2]. These diplomatic tailwinds coincided with a period where Airbus grappled with production setbacks, including a software issue identified in November 2025 that affected thousands of A320 aircraft [7].

Sources

Manufacturing Aerospace