page_title: Competition between Airbus and Boeing
section_title: Airbus A320 vs Boeing 737
hierarchical_section_title: Competition between Airbus and Boeing / Competing products / Airbus A320 vs Boeing 737
caption_attribution_description: English: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 family deliveries, 1967 – 2018
context_page_description: The competition between Airbus and Boeing has been characterised as a duopoly in the large jet airliner market since the 1990s. This resulted from a series of mergers within the global aerospace industry, with Airbus beginning as a European consortium while the American Boeing absorbed its former arch-rival, McDonnell Douglas, in 1997. Other manufacturers, such as Lockheed Martin and Convair in the United States, and British Aerospace and Fokker in Europe, were no longer able to compete and effectively withdrew from this market.
  In the 10 years from 2007 to 2016, Airbus received 9,985 orders while delivering 5,644, and Boeing received 8,978 orders while delivering 5,718. During their period of intense competition, both companies have regularly accused each other of receiving unfair state aid from their respective governments.
context_section_description: The Airbus A320 family was the best-selling jet airliner in 2002, and in 2005–2006.
  The 737NG has outsold the A320 in 2001, and in 2007.
  While the Boeing 737 Next Generation outsold the Airbus A320 family since its introduction in 1988, it is still lagging overall with 7,033 orders against 7,940 in January 2016. Airbus received 4,471 orders since the A320neo family launch in December 2010, while the 737 MAX got 3,072 from August 2011 till January 2016. In the same timeframe, the neo had 3,355 orders. Through August, Airbus have a 59.4% market share of the re-engined single aisle market, while Boeing had 40.6%; Boeing has doubts on over-ordered A320 neos by new operators and expects to narrow the gap with replacements not already ordered. In July 2017, Airbus still had sold 1,350 more A320neos than Boeing had sold 737 MAXs.
  In terms of deliveries, Boeing has shipped 10,444 aircraft of the 737 family since late 1967, with 8,918 of those deliveries since March 1988, and has a further 4,763 on firm order as of December 2018. In comparison, Airbus has delivered 8,605 A320 series aircraft since their certification/first delivery in early 1988, with another 6,056 on firm order (as of December 2018).
  While Boeing ramp-up 737 monthly production from 47 in 2017 to 57 in 2019 and Airbus from 46 to 60, both consider accelerating further despite supplier strain.
  By September 2018, there were 7,251 A320 family ceo aircraft in service versus 6,757 737NGs, while Airbus should deliver 3,174 A320neos compared with 2,999 Boeing 737 MAX through 2022.
  Airbus sold well the A320 to low-cost startups and offering a choice of engines could make them more attractive to airlines and lessors than the single-sourced 737, but CFM engines are extremely reliable.
  The six-month head-start of the A320neo allowed Airbus to rack up 1,000 orders before Boeing announced the MAX.
  The A321 has outsold the 737-900 three to one, as the A321neo is again dominating the 737-9 MAX, to be joined by the 737-10 MAX.
caption: 737 vs A320 family deliveries per model 1967-2018
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