While both Airbus and Boeing delivered a comparable number of aircraft in Q1 2023, data from the manufacturer’s most recent quarterly reports show that Boeing outpaced Airbus in net orders.
Despite pauses, there are high delivery rates.
Boeing nonetheless managed to deliver more aircraft than Airbus despite having to temporarily halt 767F deliveries in Q1 2023, including those of the 787 and its military variant, the KC-46A.
In all, 130 aircraft were delivered by Boeing to clients in Q1 2023, the majority of which (111) were 737 MAX models. Additionally, two P-8 Poseidon models, a military variant of the 737 NextGeneration (NG), were also supplied by the US company. It also delivered 11 Boeing 787s, four 777Fs, one 767-300F, and the final 747 to Atlas Air during the quarter.
Due to a problem at a supplier that neglected to follow the proper cleaning and paint adhesion processes of the central wing fuel tank, the manufacturer was compelled to stop the deliveries of the 767F and the KC-46A. It wasn’t a serious safety concern, but it may have led to clogged fuel filters, which would have limited fuel flow to the jet’s engines. On February 23, 2023, Boeing reported that it had discovered a “analysis error by our supplier related to the 787 forward pressure bulkhead” and that it had halted deliveries of the 787. In March 2023, deliveries were once again made.
Eight of the 11 Boeing 787s supplied by the OEM in Q1 2023 were out of stock after flying for a number of years or months previous to delivery, according to AeroTime’s study of planespotters.net data. Similar to earlier deliveries, the 737 MAX was Boeing’s best-selling model, with 78 orders from different carriers, including Japan carriers and Greater Bay Airlines. While two unnamed clients finalized agreements for eight 787-8 and seven 787-10 aircraft, EVA Air and Lufthansa placed orders for five and seven Boeing 787-9s, respectively.
Finally, the USAF purchased 15 KC-46A Pegasus refueling aircraft.
Throughout Q1 2023, Boeing received 120 orders in total.
Deliveries of narrow-body aircraft predominate.
Similar to Boeing, over the first three months of the year, the A220 and A320neo families made up the majority of Airbus’ deliveries and sales.
Airbus delivered 127 aircraft in all during the first quarter of 2023, including 10 A220-30, two A319neo, 45 A320neo, and 59 A321neo. Only 11 wide-body aircraft were delivered, which were distributed among an A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), five A330-900neo, and five A350-900s.
The last A220-100 that Airbus delivered was in October 2022. The European OEM also recently delivered A330-800neo and A350-1000 aircraft in November and December of that same year. As of March 2023, Airbus still has 104 A350-1000s, 37 A220-100s, and four A330-800neos to deliver to customers all over the world. All three programs have minimal backlogs.
In parallel, throughout Q1 2023, Lufthansa placed an order for 10 A350-1000s, and Airbus added 50 A321neo and 23 A350-1000 aircraft to its backlog from Qatar Airways after the two firms resolved their legal dispute about surface paint degradation on the particular aircraft type. It did not, however, record a single order for the A220-100 or A330neo.
Following 14 cancellations, Airbus received 142 net new orders (69 of which do not include orders from Qatar Airways). A320neo family was its top seller: One A319neo, 27 A320neo, and 60 (10 excluding Qatar Airways) A321neos were sold by the manufacturer. Other orders include 12 A220-300, 4 A350F, and 5 A350-900 aircraft from British Airways, Delta Air Lines, and possibly KLM.
In Airbus documents, the four A350Fs were linked to an unnamed customer. However, KLM disclosed that it had ordered the four freighters in January 2023, with Martinair, a division of KLM, eventually operating them.
