PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus delivered 766 passenger planes in 2024 and looked set to retain its lead in the jet-making industry for a sixth year as arch-rival Boeing ( NYSE: ) cautiously recovers from a protracted domestic crisis, company data showed on Thursday .
The European planemaker fell short of a key target of “around 770” jets but was expected to win after allowing itself room for error as global supply chains remain hampered by parts and labor shortages.
The widely watched deliveries, confirming a provisional figure of 766 jets reported by Reuters, marked a slowdown in Airbus’ industrial recovery from the pandemic, with annual growth more than halved to 4% from 11% a year earlier.
Although Boeing has yet to release annual figures, the cautious increase and regulatory restrictions following the mid-air explosion of an Alaska Airlines jet a year ago have already left an unbridgeable gap between Boeing and Airbus deliveries for 2024.
However, analysts say the two plane makers continue to compete aggressively for new orders.
Airbus posted 878 gross orders, or a net total of 826 after cancellations, down 61% from the record 2023. By the end of November, Boeing had 370 net orders after cancellations.
