Airbus Tops Boeing for Sixth Year as Production Issues Weigh on US Rival

Airbus cemented its position as the world’s top plane manufacturer for the eighth consecutive year in 2024, outpacing Boeing by a wide margin in both deliveries and net orders.

The European planemaker delivered 766 jets last year and secured 826 net orders after cancellations and conversions, maintaining its lead over Boeing, which was hampered by production quality issues, stricter regulatory oversight, and supply chain disruptions.

Boeing, the US-based aerospace giant, reported delivering 348 aircraft in 2024, a sharp drop from 528 the previous year and its lowest annual tally since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global aviation.

The company’s gross orders fell to 569, down from 1,456 in 2023, while net orders after adjustments stood at 377, less than half the previous year’s total.

Boeing’s operations were significantly impacted by a seven-week labour strike, which ended in November, delaying production lines and deliveries.

The company restarted production of its 737 models in early December and managed to deliver 30 jets that month, including 17 737 MAX and nine 787 Dreamliners.

This marked a modest rebound from just 13 deliveries in November and 14 in October.

For the year, Boeing delivered 260 737 MAX jets, 51 787s, 18 767s, and 14 777s. The slow recovery reflects cautious efforts to address ongoing quality control concerns and regulatory pressures, which have strained its assembly lines and reputation.

Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s newly appointed CEO, has warned investors that the company will likely continue to face cash flow challenges in the near term, underscoring the financial strain of production slowdowns and missed delivery targets.

While Boeing grappled with setbacks, Airbus maintained a robust pace of production and order bookings. The company’s 766 deliveries in 2024 marked a significant achievement compared to Boeing’s struggles.

Airbus also outpaced Boeing in unfilled orders, closing the year with a stronger backlog.

Boeing ended 2024 with 5,595 orders in its official backlog, adjusted for accounting standards, and 6,245 unfilled orders overall.

gandae@businessdayafrica.org