Airbus Tops Rival Boeing with 766 Jet Deliveries in 2024

Airbus delivered 766 jets in 2024 and looked certain to maintain leadership of the jetmaking industry for a sixth year as arch-rival Boeing recovers cautiously from a prolonged internal crisis, company data showed.

The European planemaker fell fractionally short of its target of “around 770” jets but said it had met the goal after giving itself a margin for error as global supply chains remain hampered by parts and labour shortages.

Overall deliveries, which confirmed a figure previously reported by Reuters, marked a slowdown in Airbus’ industrial recovery from the pandemic, with annual growth more than halving to 4 from 11 percent a year earlier.

Although Boeing has yet to report annual data, a cautious ramp-up and regulatory curbs following a mid-air blowout on an Alaska Airlines jet one year ago had already left an unbridgeable gap between Boeing and Airbus deliveries for 2024.

Christian Scherer, CEO of the France-based company’s core commercial planemaking business, said he remained confident that Airbus can reach a target of producing 75 single-aisle A320-family jets a month at some point in 2027. But he cautioned there is more work to be done in fixing supply chains.

Deliveries of wide-body A350 jets fell 11 percent compared to the previous year when volumes had been supported by handing over about 10 planes previously held in inventory following sanctions against Russia and a major legal dispute with Qatar Airways.