European jetmaker Airbus and Boeing's rival, finally took home the crown of being the world's largest planemaker on Wednesday, following eight years of being second-best to its American counterpart.
According to Reuters, Airbus delivered 863 jets in 2019, beating analyst estimates and finally taking the top position from Boeing. The last time the European aircraft giant held the title was in 2011.
The said volume of aircraft delivered in the past year is a significant 7.9 percent hike from 2018, marking another breakthrough in the company's efforts to overcome industrial problems earlier this year.
The company experienced delays in integrating fittings for the new layout of the A321neo aircraft. Dozens of the jets were left in hangar storage and costs were hiking as customers waited for deliveries.
However, Airbus seemed to overcome the challenges with fitting and while the European jetmaker used to halt manufacturing operations during the holidays, plants were well in action during New Year's Eve.
Furthermore, Airbus also seemed to benefit largely from its rival's troubles over the past year. While Boeing was busy resolving issues with the troubled 737 Max planes, its European counterpart was busy inking deals with some of the world's biggest carriers.
It is also worth noting that Airbus only delivered 800 jets in 2018, but during the first 11 months of 2019, the aircraft giant already delivered 725 planes. The company has yet to officially confirm the tally.
It is unclear how Airbus did it but it appears the European aircraft leader delivered a massive 138 jets for the whole of December. Industry analysts noted that if this is the case, manufacturing plants may have worked extra hours to make it happen.
According to a breakdown from Simple Flying, Airbus delivered 41 A220 jets, ranging from the -100 to -300 variations, while it delivered 537 A320 jets wherein 449 neo jets were included and 88 classic engine variations were mixed in.
For the wide-body aircraft, Airbus delivered six A380s, 45 A330s, and 96 A350s. Of the A350-1000 variations, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways received were the new customers.
Apparently, it was a tough year for Boeing, which had to deal with multiple blows from the two tragedies that stemmed from faulty systems within the 737 Max jets. The Lion Air crash and the Ethiopian Airlines tragedies took a total of 346 lives.
Industry experts have estimated billions in losses for the American aircraft giant ever since the 737 Max jets were grounded in March. Now-former CEO Dennis Muilenberg was fired, and the new chief executive has to prove that he is worth everyone's trust.
It remains to be seen whether 2020 will be for Airbus or if Boeing will bounce back with the guidance of its new CEO, Dave Calhoun, will take over the reigns in January 13.
