Airbus outpaces Boeing in May aircraft deliveries and orders
Airbus continued to outpace Boeing in aircraft deliveries in May, delivering 81 aircraft to 45 customers compared with Boeing’s 60 jet deliveries during the same month.
The European manufacturer was even further ahead in terms of orders placed last month.
Blockbuster orders sees Airbus beat Boeing in May
Airbus recorded 379 gross orders in May, while Boeing achieved only 27 new orders before cancellations and conversions reduced its net total to 11 aircraft.
Among the standout orders was AirAsia’s deal for 150 Airbus A220s.
The order was the largest for the A220 to date, and includes a commitment from Airbus to reconfigure those aircraft with 160 seats to meet the Asian low-cost-carrier’s desire for high-density cabins.
China Southern Airlines placed an order for 102 Airbus A320neo-family aircraft, alongside a further 35 aircraft for its subsidiary Xiamen Airlines.
Deliveries are scheduled between 2028 and 2032 for the mainline carrier, and between 2029 and 2032 for the subsidiary.
Scoot, the Singapore Airlines Group’s low-cost carrier, also confirmed an order for 11 Airbus A320neo family aircraft.
The Scoot agreement comprises a firm order for five aircraft of this type and the exercise of options for a further six under a 2014 agreement with Airbus.
Boeing struggles to land orders as it awaits certification of the 777X
For Boeing, it was Lufthansa’s order for 10 Boeing 787-9s that took the top spot (although there was an undisclosed customer for 14 Boeing 737-800s).
However, as if to steal Boeing’s thunder on its largest order for May, Airbus also reported an identical order, for 10 Airbus A350-900s from the German flag carrier.
Delivery of the aircraft will be made between 2032 and 2034.
TUI was the only other publicly named airline to place an order with Boeing in May, for a single 737 MAX.
Boeing will be hoping that its yet-to-be-certified 777-9 will add to the tally of orders and deliveries in the months to come.
Airbus ahead with year-to-date deliveries
In the year-to-date, Airbus has delivered 262 aircraft to 68 customers, narrowly ahead of Boeing’s 250 deliveries through to the end of May.
Boeing’s total is heavily weighted towards its re-engined narrowbody workhorse, with the figure including 198 737 MAX aircraft.
Airbus’ delivery performance was led by A320 family aircraft. Across all airframes, Airbus has now recorded 26,272 total orders and 17,019 total deliveries since launch.
Boeing, meanwhile, achieved a production recovery on the 737 MAX programme, delivering 51 of the type in May, the highest monthly total since production resumed following the 2024 strike disruption.
The company is preparing to increase 737 production from 42 to 47 aircraft per month later this summer.
On the widebody side, Boeing delivered six 787-9 Dreamliners during May, though the programme continues to face certification-related delays tied to the premium cabin seating.
Boeing also handed over one 777 freighter and one 767 freighter, to National Airlines and Fedex Express respectively.
Boeing’s backlog stands at over 6,000 aircraft
Boeing reported 324 gross orders through the first five months of 2026, with 295 net new orders after accounting for cancellations and conversions.
The company’s order backlog stood at 6,178 aircraft at the end of May.
While Boeing marginally outpaced Airbus on aircraft deliveries for the first quarter of the year, the European behemoth has regained pole position.
It comes after Boeing recorded its strongest April for aircraft orders in more than a decade.
In a role reversal compared with May, the US planemaker secured 136 gross orders in April compared with 28 for Airbus, marking Boeing’s highest monthly order tally for the period in more than 10 years.
Boeing had not enjoyed such a productive first four months of the year since 2014.
Boeing handed over 47 aircraft in April, while Airbus delivered 67 aircraft to 39 customers during the same month.
Featured image: Airbus
