Airbus Surpasses Boeing in Aircraft Deliveries, Achieving 181 Jan-April

Airbus delivered a total of 54 airplanes in April, according to company data released on Tuesday May 9, bringing its year-to-date deliveries to 181. Although this represents a 5% decrease compared to the same period last year, it was sufficient to regain the lead over its U.S. competitor, Boeing.

In April, Airbus also secured five new sales, all of which were made to undisclosed companies or private customers. This brings the total number of new orders for the year to 161 planes, with a net total of 144 after accounting for cancellations.

Boeing, which had initially surpassed Airbus in deliveries due to supply challenges in the first quarter, reported delivering 156 planes and receiving 154 gross orders during the first four months of the year. However, Boeing’s net orders, considering cancellations and conversions, stood at 69 aircraft so far in 2023, comparable to Airbus’ net orders.

Airbus’ monthly data revealed three cancellations for A320neo jets that had been ordered by Viva Air, an airline facing financial difficulties and currently being absorbed by Avianca, the national carrier of Colombia. Viva Air has experienced financial challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as higher fuel prices in 2022 and the depreciation of the Colombian peso.

Airbus refrained from providing detailed comments on its order book, while Avianca was not immediately available for comment.

For the year, Airbus has set a target of 720 deliveries. Initially, this target was aimed for 2022, but due to supply chain issues, it was revised to 700 before ultimately being removed.