Boeing Beats Airbus To Start 2026

Boeing has reported 143 commercial aircraft deliveries in Q1 2026, exceeding forecasts and marking another pivotal step in the ongoing recovery of the business.

Dominated by the heavy deliveries of the most important single-aisle 737 MAX product and complemented by the 787 Dreamliner, this outpaces Airbus for aircraft deliveries for the first quarter, which published just 114 deliveries across Q1.

The data highlights further stabilisation in the planemaker’s production processes after years of setbacks and regulatory scrutiny that have impacted performance.

Boeing Q1 Performance: A Year-Over-Year Improvement

Boeing achieved 143 deliveries in Q1 2026, which represnets a solid increase year-over-year, where 130 aircraft were delivered in Q1 2025.

The 737 MAX family led deliveries, as expected for the first quarter. Despite two model variants remaining uncertified and the FAA’s production restrictions continuing, it still accounted for approximately 80% of the total.

Boeing Beats Airbus: January Sets Tone

For Boeing, starting the year strong set the tone, and the pace was maintained throughout the first three months, with an impressive 46 deliveries, significantly outpacing and doubling the 19 reported at Airbus in the same period.

In February, the business added 51 jets, and momentum was sustained early on, even amid ongoing supply chain pressures.

March, however, saw a slower delivery output again, dropping to 46 as the manufacturer faced obstacles in the required rework of its popular single-aisle model.

Other Boeing Aircraft Also Delivered

Away from the 737 MAX, widebody contributions were also valuable in making up the quarterly numbers with the delivery of 15 787 Dreamliners. These planes are key for many airlines’ long-haul renewal and growth efforts alongside a push to become more efficient.

Boeing continues to deliver aircraft from the 777 program, the jet proving valuable as a freighter, especially as the aging 767 platform thrives in dedicated freighter services. These models also account for and cover the output in the long-haul segment.

Boeing vs Airbus: A Gap Becomes Smaller

In just the first three months of the year, Boeing outperformed its competitor, Airbus, for the first time in some time, with 143 deliveries compared to 114 for its European counterpart.

Airbus itself has been hampered by engine supply chain bottlenecks and by delayed output rates across key programs due to persistent issues and unresolved quality defects.

Boeing’s volume of aircraft shipped, however, remains largely constrained, with the FAA overseeing monthly production rates, limiting the ability to increase output.

Either way, the 10% year-over-year growth means that Boeing has been able to make up for lost ground over the 2020s, when its safety crises, cash issues, and production groundings saw its counterpart soar ahead in more ways than one, especially in the narrowbody sector.

Boeing Targets A Strong 2026

Boeing isn’t intended to hit the brakes, despite some concerns across March 2026, and is hopeful that its rebound will be seen throughout 2026, with a quality-first production approach crucial to its turnaround efforts.

Leaning on lessons from the 737 MAX crashes, door plug incidents, and FAA interventions, the planemaker will work closely to ramp up production of its MAX from the currently restricted 42 units to a hoped-for 47 per month by the end of this year, with a view to further increases.

737 MAX Orders Surge, Backlog Grows

For Boeing, with two models uncertified and production restrictions still in place, the problem, albeit somewhat healthy, is centred on the strong backlog that continues to grow, and the inability to work through it for customers, given the slowed production rates.

As customers await their aircraft, delays create additional pressure points for all parties, especially for Boeing financially. Thus, proving that quality has improved is key to navigating the remaining pressure points for the manufacturer.

Bottom Line: 2026 Starts Well

Boeing’s Q1 delivery figure of 143 not only shows that meaningful progress continues to be made for the American planemaker in its recovery efforts, but also indicates it is outpacing Airbus, despite the latter regaining single-aisle market dominance with the A320 family.

Now, Boeing’s attention turns to continuing its quality-first approach to production, enabling the FAA to permit increases while working toward certification of its two remaining MAX models, the 737-7 and 737-10.