Boeing widens lead over Airbus with record 777X orders amid rival's woes

Boeing significantly increased its lead over struggling European rival Airbus SE, receiving 164 aircraft orders in November. Almost half of these orders are for 777X wide-body airliners. This success contrasts with a series of recent quality problems at the French manufacturer. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.

DetailsAmong Boeing’s orders were 65 777X aircraft from Emirates and another nine from another customer. In total, Boeing reached 1,000 gross orders by November, while Airbus has 797. However, Boeing also recorded 38 cancellations in November, including Etihad Airways’ cancellation of orders for 15 777Xs.

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Meanwhile, Airbus has faced several quality shortcomings, including potentially defective metal panels, and has lowered its annual delivery plan. This week, the US Federal Aviation Administration updated a directive requiring operators of nearly 2,000 Airbus A320 family aircraft to inspect door fasteners more frequently for possible cracks. 

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International Air Transport Association CEO Willie Walsh commented on this, stating that Boeing “has significantly raised its standards,” while recent setbacks have undermined confidence in Airbus’s manufacturing quality.

Despite leading in orders, Boeing is cautiously ramping up factory capacity under government oversight after last year’s 737 Max incident. In November, the company delivered only 44 aircraft, while Airbus handed over 72 aircraft to customers. As of November 30, Boeing had delivered 537 aircraft compared to 657 for Airbus.

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