How Airbus Surpassed Boeing To Become The World’s Top Plane Maker

Airbus and Boeing have been competing head to head for decades as the world’s largest commercial airplane makers. The European-based Airbus entered the market 56 years after its rival. And today, more than three-quarters of the world’s commercial aircraft is made up of Airbus and Boeing planes. The Boeing 737 family and Airbus 320 family are the companies best-selling aircraft and have been a crucial segment of competition. Over the last few years, Airbus has pulled ahead of Boeing when it comes to net profits, orders, deliveries and backlog. Experts say its A321neo narrow-body aircraft is propelling the company ahead of Boeing, which has been dealing with crisis after crisis the last several years. CNBC explores how Airbus came to be the biggest commercial plane manufacturer and whether it can stay on top. CNBC explores how Airbus came to be the biggest commercial plane manufacturer and whether it can stay on top. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:20 Wide-body era 4:13 The workhorse 7:37 The Superjumbo 9:55 Ramping up production 11:15 The hinge factor 15:02 Can Airbus stay on top? Produced and Edited by: Erin Black Animations by: Andrea Schmitz Senior Director of Video: Jeniece Pettitt Additional Camera: Natalie Rice Editorial Support: Leslie Josephs » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Watch CNBC on the go with CNBC+: https://www.cnbc.com/WatchCNBCPlus About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more. Want to boost your confidence, income and career success? Take one of Smarter by CNBC Make It’s expert-led online courses. Use coupon code MEMORIAL for a discount of 30% off the regular course prices (plus tax). Offer valid May 19, 2025, through June 2, 2025. Terms apply. https://cnb.cx/4k2Cf7b Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC on Threads: https://cnb.cx/threads Follow CNBC News on X: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC on WhatsApp: https://cnb.cx/WhatsAppCNBC #CNBC How Airbus Surpassed Boeing To Become The World’s Top Plane Maker