Air TransportBoeing edges Airbus in net aircraft orders in 2025 as narrowbody demand dominates
Boeing secured more net aircraft orders than Airbus in 2025, reporting 1,173 net commitments compared with 889 recorded by its European rival. While the headline figures place Boeing ahead, the underlying composition of the orderbooks and the level of disclosure differ between the two manufacturers.
In terms of deliveries, Airbus remained ahead of Boeing in 2025. The European manufacturer delivered 793 aircraft during the year, compared with 600 deliveries recorded by Boeing. The contrast highlights the gap between order intake and the ability to translate backlog into deliveries in the near term.
At Airbus, narrowbody aircraft accounted for the bulk of net orders. The A320neo family generated 560 net commitments, driven primarily by the A321neo, which alone recorded 496 net orders after cancellations. The A320neo added a further 64 net orders, while the A220 programme contributed 44 net aircraft split between the -100 and -300 variants.
Widebody demand at Airbus remained solid. The manufacturer logged 283 net orders for the A350 family, including 83 A350-900s, 82 A350-1000s and 20 A350Fs. The A330neo programme added 98 net orders for the A330-900, alongside two orders for the A330-200. In total, Airbus ended the year with 1,000 gross orders and 111 cancellations, resulting in 889 net aircraft.
Boeing’s order performance was led overwhelmingly by the 737 MAX, which accounted for 591 gross orders. In addition, the company booked 163 gross orders for the 777X and a combined 381 orders across the three 787 variants. Boeing also recorded orders for military derivatives, including 15 767-2C airframes for the KC-46A tanker and 10 737-800-based P-8A maritime patrol aircraft.
Unlike Airbus, Boeing did not disclose cancellations by model. The company reported 1,175 gross orders and two cancellations, resulting in 1,173 net orders, but did not specify which programmes were affected by the cancelled commitments.
By segment, Boeing’s narrowbody net orders were dominated by the 737 MAX, while its widebody total was split between the 787 family and the 777X, the latter continuing to attract long-term commitments despite the programme’s delayed entry into service. Military derivatives, while smaller in volume, remained a consistent component of Boeing’s order intake.
The comparison highlights contrasting orderbook profiles. Airbus continued to rely heavily on the A321neo as its main growth driver, while Boeing’s results reflect a broad-based recovery across narrowbodies and widebodies, albeit with less transparency around cancellations.
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Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
