By The Leeham News Team
Jan. 16, 2026, © Leeham News: Boeing won more orders than Airbus last year. Airbus delivered more airplanes, given its higher production rates and Boeing’s long, slow path to recovery.
But a dissection of the numbers also shows positive results for Boeing.
Boeing 737 MAXes awaiting delivery at Boeing Field. Credit: Leeham News.
On top of Delta Air Lines’ breakthrough order for the 787-10, its first for any 787, United Airlines converted 56 787-9s to the 787-10. The 787-10’s seat-mile costs are the lowest in its class. If an airline doesn’t need the longer range of the Airbus A330-900, the A350-900, or the 787-9, the extra passenger and cargo capacity of the -10 is a winning combination.
The total twin-aisle passenger aircraft deliveries were 179 (91 Airbus A330 and A350, 88 Boeing 787s). It is far below the peak of 2015 (362), at the level of 2011 (179), and below the peak of the late 1990s cycle (227 in 1999). Boeing needs the 777-9 certification to reclaim its historical lead in twin-aisle passenger aircraft deliveries. Boeing handily dominates the twin-aisle order book.
Single Aisle numbers
Boeing dominates the single-aisle market vs. Airbus for orders and deliveries of anything the size of the 737-8 or below:
|
Metric |
A220/A319/A320 | 737-7/737-8/737-8200 |
Boeing Share |
|
|
2025 Deliveries |
313 |
388 |
55% |
|
| 2025-12-31 Orders |
2282 |
2964 |
57% |
|
It is obviously the segment above the 737-8 that Boeing’s market share is problematic, which highlights the urgency to get the 737-10 certified:
|
Metric |
A321 |
737-9/737-10 |
Boeing Share |
| 2025 Deliveries |
387 |
54 |
12% |
| 2025-12-31 Orders |
5349 |
1600 |
23% |
Airbus and Boeing combined delivered 1,142 single-aisle passenger aircraft in 2025. It is the second-highest combined tally after 2018 (1,220).
Bottom line: Single-aisle deliveries are close to surpassing their pre-COVID-19 peak, while Twin-aisle passenger deliveries are still in the doldrums.
Monthly delivery numbers
Monthly delivery breakdown between the assembly line and legacy inventory for the 737 and 787:
The upward trend in the number of aircraft coming off the assembly line is obvious.
There are now two 737-8s (one for Air Europa, one for Shenzhen Airlines) and seven 787-9s (all for Lufthansa) left from the legacy inventory.
Melius Research sees Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) turning book profitable in 2026. This assumes an average monthly rollout rate of 43 units for the 737, eight for the 787, two on the 777 Classic, less than one for the 777X, and 2.5 on the 767/KC-46 line.
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