Boeing increases September deliveries but remains behind Airbus as order gap narrows

Production of the 737 MAX remains capped at 38 aircraft per month under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limits. Boeing has implemented several safety and quality improvements on its production line, which could lead to an eventual increase in the cap. The 787 program continues with stable production at seven aircraft per month, and deliveries are benefiting from the reduction of remaining inventory.

Airbus reported a stronger delivery performance with 73 aircraft handed over in September: 59 A320neos, nine A220s, four A330s, and one A350. This figure was up from August's 61 deliveries. Forty-one customers received Airbus aircraft last month, including Delta Air Lines, Air Côte d’Ivoire, British Airways, Air France, Air China, JetBlue, and United Airlines. Turkish Airlines was the only customer to receive an Airbus A350-900.

As of September 30, Airbus had delivered 507 commercial aircraft to 79 customers in 2025. The manufacturer set a target of 820 deliveries for the year and must now deliver an average of 104 aircraft per month over the next three months to meet this goal. At the same point last year, Airbus had delivered 497 aircraft against a target of 770 and ultimately delivered 766 planes.

The Airbus A350 program has faced challenges with only 33 deliveries so far this year, averaging about 3.6 per month. Most of Airbus's output has come from the A320neo family with 392 deliveries. Single-aisle deliveries increased from August but will need to rise further for Airbus to reach its annual target. Notably, this month saw the A320 family surpass the Boeing 737 in cumulative deliveries.

In terms of new orders, Boeing led Airbus last month with 96 gross orders compared to Airbus's 10. Boeing's orders included 32 737 MAXs and 64 787s. Turkish Airlines placed a significant order for 50 Dreamliners—35 787-9s and 15 787-10s—with options for an additional 25 aircraft as part of its fleet expansion plans. Turkish Airlines also announced plans to purchase up to 150 more 737 MAXs, which would be its largest single-aisle order from Boeing if finalized.

Airbus received two A350-900 orders on September 8 and eight more on September 16 from undisclosed customers.