Boeing appears to finally be emerging from a years-long slump. The Washington-based aircraft maker has 1,173 net orders for commercial aircraft by 2025, surpassing rival Airbus. The European company secured 889 net orders, 31.9% ahead of Boeing. Apparently, after years of fatal accidents, exploding panels and stranded astronauts, the manufacturer is starting to wash away some of the stain on its once-glorious reputation. This marks the first time Boeing has surpassed Airbus in orders since 2018, when everything seemed to fall apart for Boeing.
Still, Airbus has a lot to celebrate. As CNBC points out, Airbus still actually delivered more aircraft than Boeing last year, 793 versus 600. In other words, while Boeing fares better in terms of prospects, Airbus is still doing better right now. Remember, 2025 is also the year the Airbus A320 family surpasses the Boeing 737 to become the best-selling jet of all time. Meanwhile, the A321neo remains the best-selling aircraft of all time. So Boeing still has a lot of work to do.
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It’s not just Airbus that Boeing has to worry about: There’s also the U.S. government, which is directly and indirectly affecting its largest plane maker. On the one hand, the FAA has limited the number of 737s Boeing can produce each month since crashes in 2018 and 2019. This is to ensure the focus is on safety rather than yield. The FAA is just beginning to loosen these restrictions, and there are signs they may be loosened further soon.
The Justice Department, on the other hand, is trying to hold Boeing criminally responsible for its fatal crash. Then Donald Trump was back in the White House, and suddenly the Department of Justice thought Boeing was actually pretty good. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor had said “Boeing’s crimes could be considered the most deadly corporate crime in American history,” but he reluctantly dismissed the case at the request of the Justice Department. Coincidence or not, just as President Trump was visiting Qatar, Qatar purchased the largest aircraft in history, all Boeing aircraft.
However, Boeing still has been unable to obtain certification for its latest 737 MAX variant, or the 777X. The planes have been delayed for years after failing safety tests again and again. Delays on the 777X alone cost the company $5 billion. But if Boeing can actually get these planes flying safely, they will be a huge windfall once deliveries begin. According to the company, this should happen within the next few years. Good thing there isn’t some kind of global trade war that’s also getting in the way – oh well. Oh, damn.
