A double-digit increase in Boeing's output drove a 6% rise in mainline airliner production last year to a record 1,352 aircraft, with the US airframer's widebody deliveries significantly outstripping Airbus's.
The two rivals' combined net orders of 2,888 aircraft also marks a new industry record.
Airbus revealed earlier today that it delivered 629 aircraft in 2014 – just three more than it shipped the previous year. This is some 94 units shy of its rival's total of 723 deliveries – with Boeing's advantage driven by its significantly greater widebody output.
Boeing's deliveries rose 10% during 2014, with its growing output advantage the result of increasing 787 production rates. Dreamliner output almost doubled last year, to 114 units, helping propel the US manufacturer to 238 widebody deliveries in 2014. This is 99 more shipments than Airbus in the widebody category, with the European manufacturer only just beginning to deliver its rival A350 XWB.
Airbus just had the edge in single-aisle production, shipping 490 A320-family aircraft against 485 Boeing 737s.
The European manufacturer's tally of 1,456 net orders takes the industry's combined total to 2,888 aircraft. The Airbus tally – which is 47 fewer than its 2013 total – gives it a slight advantage over Boeing, which secured 1,432 net orders.
The two manufacturers' combined 2014 sales total breaks the net order record of 2,858 orders set in 2013. This has driven the combined year-end order backlog up by over 14% to 12,175 aircraft, compared with the total 12 months earlier. Airbus has its nose ahead, with its 6,386 orders representing a 52.5% market share.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
