Faury (Airbus): 'Boeing first in the race to order new aircraft in 2025'

For the first time in six years Boeing could overtake Airbus in the race for orders from airlines around the world. This was said by the CEO of Airbus himself, Guillaume Faury, who in an interview did not rule out the probable overtaking of the American competitor, thanks to the agreements reached on tariff disputes with the United States. The first sign of confirmation came from November's figures whereby Boeing recorded 908 net orders (after cancellations) between January and November, compared to Airbus's 700, a trend sustained by strong demand for its long-haul aircraft, the Boeing 787.

 Airbus remains ahead of its US rival in terms of deliveries and order backlog, Faury said in the interview.'The fact that we have been ahead in orders for five years means that our order backlog is much larger than that of our main competitor,' Faury told the French radio station. 'What is certain is that they have been helped by the US president in tariff negotiations with several countries, where aircraft orders have become part of the resolution of trade disputes,' he said.

In November Boeing delivered 44 new aircraft, down from 53 the previous month, below the numbers of Airbus, which delivered 72 aircraft in the same month. These included 32 737 MAX short- to medium-haul aircraft, six 787s, two 777 cargo planes and four 767s.

Also in November, the US manufacturer received 164 new orders, with 38 cancellations, including 74 wide-body 777X aircraft still undergoing certification and scheduled to enter service in 2027, seven years behind schedule. Launch customer Emirates ordered another 65 large twin-engine aircraft during the Dubai Airshow, bringing the Emirates company's orders for the 777X family to 270. Taiwan's China Airlines also ordered nine 777X aircraft, having already ordered 14 earlier this year. Also in terms of orders, Boeing received 30 for the 787 and 43 for the 737 MAX. It also received orders for 15 KC-46 tankers from the US Air Force and two 777 cargo aircraft. Although Boeing is selling wide-body aircraft at a particularly fast pace not seen since 2007, it nevertheless recorded 38 cancellations in November: Etihad Airways, for example, cancelled orders for 15 777X and seven Dreamliners.

In turn, Airbus delivered more aircraft than Boeing in November, however the European manufacturer reduced its annual delivery target by 4% to 790 aircraft following an industrial quality issue. From January to November, Boeing delivered 537s and recorded 1,000 new orders, or 908 net after cancellations and conversions, a higher number than Airbus' 797 orders, which surpasses Boeing with 657 deliveries. The American manufacturer's order book rose to 6,019 at the end of the month. Boeing CFO Jay Malave said last week that the company expects positive cash flow in 2026 due to increased aircraft deliveries.