Problems With The 737 MAX Have Contributed To The Shift, Analysts Say

Airbus has usurped Boeing as the world's top planemaker following a sharp fall in Boeing deliveries in the wake of two accidents involving the 737 MAX.

Deutsche Welle reports that Airbus has reclaimed the top spot for the first time since 2012. In 2019, Airbus delivered a record total of 863 aircraft. Boeing had delivered just 345 airplanes as of the end of November, and was on track for its lowest delivery numbers in more than a decade. Analysts attribute a great deal of the slump to the grounding of Boeing's 373 MAX.

Up until it was grounded, the 737 MAX had been Boeing's best selling airplane in the company's history. More than 350 had been registered worldwide, and there are about 5,000 on order. The 737 MAX represents about 80 percent of the company's commercial order backlog, according to the report, and about 60 percent of the company's value.

Boeing did continue to lead Airbus in the widebody category. Boeing delivered 225 widebody airplanes in 2019, compared to 147 for Airbus.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report