The European giant Airbus has officially dethroned its American rival Boeing, with its A320 becoming the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft. This shift ends decades of dominance by the Boeing 737, marking a historic turning point in the highly lucrative single-aisle, medium-range aircraft market.

In September 2025, the Airbus A320 reached a symbolic milestone by surpassing the Boeing 737 in total deliveries. The A320, which entered service in 1988, achieved 12,257 deliveries (including business jet variants) by the end of September, compared with 12,254 units for the 737, whose first flight dates back to 1967.
This overtaking is likely to be definitive, as the A320 currently enjoys a significantly larger order backlog. The A320 Family order book now exceeds 7,000 aircraft, ensuring several years of sustained production. On Boeing’s side, the 737 MAX accounts for roughly 4,860 orders. In both cases, industrial visibility for the two giants extends well into the next decade.

However, Airbus holds a clear advantage in industrial flexibility. With four A320 final assembly lines located across Europe, China, and the United States, Airbus benefits from a global production footprint, greater market adaptability, and higher capacity than Boeing, whose 737 assembly remains concentrated in Renton, Washington.

A “Remontada” Signed Airbus

Symbolically, this shift ends more than half a century of 737 supremacy in cumulative deliveries. Several factors explain this reversal of fortunes. The Boeing 737 MAX crises, notably the two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 and subsequent production challenges that curtailed output severely slowed the American manufacturer.

Meanwhile, Airbus capitalized on its innovations. From its debut, the A320 marked a technological breakthrough with its fly-by-wire flight controls, modernized cockpit, and side-stick controller. The launch of the A320neo (New Engine Option) in 2010 proved a masterstroke, further improving fuel efficiency and performance.

The A321XLR, capable of true long-haul operations, has opened a new market segment where Boeing lacks a direct equivalent. Despite these changes, the duopoly remains intact: both aircraft families continue to dominate the global single-aisle segment, which remains crucial for airlines. Yet, for now, the industrial momentum clearly favors Airbus.

Jean-François Bourgain, October 15, 2025, for AeroMorning