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Airbus is on track to become the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world
for the first time in eight years, as was revealed today by the presentation
of quarterly figures. The European aircraft manufacturer benefits from the 737
MAX debacle at Boeing.
 
Airbus maintains its expectation to deliver 880 to 890 commercial aircraft
this year. Boeing previously predicted to stay above that with 895 to 905
aircraft, but has since abandoned that expectation. It doesn't know how many
there will be now.
 
The American company was hit hard by keeping the 737 MAX on the ground after
the crash in Ethiopia. As a result, Boeing had to reduce production of this
type from 52 to 42 aircraft per month.
 
This year, Airbus is increasing production of the competing A320neo family to
60 aircraft per month. The manufacturer also wants to gradually increase the
production pace of the A330neo.
 
In the first three months of this year, Airbus already had a large lead over
Boeing, with 162 deliveries compared to 149. Without the production increase
of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to 14 aircraft per month the difference would
have been even greater.
 
Airbus has only been larger than Boeing once in history: that was in the
period from 2003 to 2011. Boeing was larger in all other years. In the 1990s,
Boeing produced two to three times as many aircraft as Airbus.

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