dailynewsnblog
Since the year 2026 began, Airbus has seen its first-quarter deliveries drop by 16% in a year-over-year comparison. At the same time, 
Boeing grew by 10% as the company is finally re-establishing a normal production and delivery rhythm, specifically for the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner programs. The end of Q1 saw Airbus profits drop by 52%, adjusted operating profit, falling from €624 million ($730.5 million) to €300 million ($351.2 million).
Boeing outpaced deliveries with 143 total to date this year, compared to Airbus with 114. As a result, Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, gave an unusually negative statement to the Press, saying that the company is “suffering” as 2026 is just starting to kick off. The European aerospace giant is investing heavily to increase production to 75 A320 aircraft per month, but has been unable to bring delivery rates up to the same level.
Mismatched Delivery And Production Cutting Into The Airbus Bottom Line
The situation at the end of Q1 2026 is a paradox for Airbus: while it holds a record order backlog, its immediate financial performance is being severely throttled by the inability of Pratt & Whitney to supply enough Geared Turbofan engines. Pratt is still striving to overcome the technical issues on aircraft in service, with the repair of 550 grounded planes as the top priority.
For the first time since the 737 MAX crisis began in 2018, Boeing surpassed Airbus in quarterly deliveries during Q1 2026, marking a major moment in the company’s recovery timeline and path toward profitable operations again. The GTF Engine crisis has also left aircraft Fresh Off The Factory line parked in storage awaiting new power plants, because there are simply none available.
Currently, Airbus is forced to sit on massive amounts of capital in limbo due to the shortage of engines. Still, Airbus is targeting roughly 870 aircraft deliveries for the year, even as it struggles with engine shortages from P&W. At the same time, after the first quarter earnings call of 2026, Faury was quoted by Leeham News as giving an abnormally ‘downbeat’ update on the company’s status and projection for the year, saying:
“We don’t like to guide or to give rates when it comes to monthly production rates or even quarterly production rates. It’s non-linear and tends to be backloaded in Q2 and Q4 in most years. That’s something that we are suffering from probably more this year than I remember we’ve ever suffered in the first quarter.”
Boeing Finally On Track To Overtake Airbus
As of late 2025, Airbus held a staggering lead in narrowbody commitments. While Boeing is aiming to ramp up its production, Airbus is doing the same. In fact, the targeted output is 50% higher in the narrowbody segment alone. Boeing can regain the lead in annual delivery volume if Airbus’s engine issues persist, but overtaking the A320’s total market share or backlog will likely take until the end of the decade, depending on the smooth entry of the MAX 10.
Boeing’s output finally reached 42 aircraft per month in early 2026 after the FAA lifted previous production caps. The company aims to reach 52 per month by 2027 or 2028. Boeing is also in the final phases of the certification process for both the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10, with both models targeted for official approval later in 2026.
In the widebody market, Boeing has managed to maintain a relatively strong position thanks to the success of the 787 Dreamliner. Even as a massive crisis has unfolded over the next-generation single aisle, and the larger 777X next generation widebody is still delayed, the 787 has been a saving grace for the American manufacturing juggernaut. Yet, the delay with the 777X has helped Airbus improve sales of the A350 family, and despite Boeing having a two-to-one higher sales volume, the European planemaker is still seeing solid profits from the A330neo and A350 Xtra Wide Body.
Boeing Delivers 63 New Aircraft In December, Marking 600 Total Deliveries In 2025
The iconic American planemaker finished 2025 strong.
Narrowbody Focus: Boeing’s 737 Dethroned, But For How Long?
While Boeing is currently outperforming Airbus in short-term delivery numbers, regaining a permanent lead in the narrowbody market remains a generational challenge. The successful certification of the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 is a critical step, but Airbus’s massive order backlog and aggressive production targets present a formidable barrier. The MAX 10, with over 1,200 orders, is Boeing’s primary weapon against the dominant A321neo. Certification is currently targeted for late 2026, with commercial service expected in 2027.
In October 2025, the Airbus A320 family officially surpassed the Boeing 737 to become the world’s most-delivered commercial jet. The core product of Airbus, the single-aisle jet family, reached 12,260 total historical deliveries, which finally put it ahead of the Boeing jetliner, a position it is still holding today despite the improvement across the pond. The A320 also continues to hold a significantly larger order backlog of over 7,100 aircraft compared to Boeing’s roughly 4,800.
