Airbus has scored a symbolic win in its competition with Boeing.
As of Tuesday, Airbus’ A320 family is the most delivered commercial aircraft in history, surpassing Boeing’s 737. Boeing’s longstanding record was broken when Airbus delivered a jet to Saudi low-cost-carrier Flynas.
Airbus has now delivered 12,268 A320 aircraft since the type’s introduction in 1988. Boeing, by comparison, has delivered 12,262 737s, according to fleet data from Cirium.
The 737, which entered service in 1968, was the most delivered commercial aircraft in the world for decades.
The A320 surpassed the 737 as the best-selling aircraft by total orders in 2019, but the 737 remained ahead in total deliveries until this week.
The A320 and the 737 have become the workhorses of the global airline industry. Together, the manufacturers have delivered over 20,100 of the two types.
Boeing’s production has been limited by increased regulatory oversight since the fatal crashes of two 737 MAX jets in 2018 and 2019. The company is gradually increasing output and hopes to soon turn out 42 737 MAX airplanes per month. In 2026, it plans to dial up that tempo to 52 per month.
