Boeing’s delivery recovery is narrowing the gap with Airbus, raising a new forecast that the US manufacturer could overtake its European rival in annual aircraft deliveries by 2030. A recent analysis points to Boeing briefly outproducing Airbus in a calendar month for the first time since before the 737 MAX crashes, while Lufthansa Group’s commitment to 20 Boeing 737 MAX 10 options adds fresh narrowbody demand for the programme.
Airbus still held the year-to-date delivery lead in mid-September, so Boeing has not yet closed the contest in 2026. Even so, Boeing’s strongest January-to-August delivery run since 2018 suggests the recovery in its narrowbody line is gathering pace, helped by improving production stability and a healthier order pipeline.
Lufthansa’s MAX 10 options are scheduled for the early 2030s and are intended to replace older Airbus A320-family jets. That makes the order commercially significant beyond the immediate tally: it gives Boeing another foothold in a segment that has long been dominated by Airbus, while also extending a key airline fleet decision further into the next decade.