Global Airliner Sales Soar in 2025 - Can Manufacturers Keep Up?

By Garth Calitz

The global commercial aviation industry closed 2025 with airliner sales at levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring airlines’ urgent need to modernise fleets, restore capacity and meet long-term growth projections. While aircraft demand remained exceptionally strong across all market segments, persistent production constraints continued to define the pace at which manufacturers could deliver on record order books.

At the heart of the market were Airbus and Boeing, whose combined order intake and deliveries once again dominated the commercial aerospace landscape. Yet 2025 stood out for a notable shift in competitive dynamics, with Boeing reclaiming momentum in sales while Airbus retained its lead in annual deliveries. Brazilian manufacturer Embraer also made significant strides in the regional jet segment, contributing important figures to the evolving commercial aircraft landscape.

Carriers worldwide entered 2025 facing a familiar challenge: passenger demand had largely recovered, but fleet availability had not. Years of deferred deliveries, early retirements during the pandemic and ongoing supply-chain disruptions left airlines competing aggressively for new aircraft slots well into the next decade.

Fuel efficiency, sustainability targets and rising maintenance costs on older aircraft pushed airlines to prioritise new-generation jets. As a result, manufacturers saw substantial interest across narrow-body, wide-body and regional segments, even as delivery timelines stretched.

Airbus ended 2025 as the world’s largest aircraft deliverer, handing over 793 commercial aircraft to airlines and leasing companies globally. The majority of these deliveries came from the A320neo family, reflecting the continued dominance of single-aisle aircraft in airline fleet strategies.

Airbus also recorded a strong year for sales, securing roughly 1,000 gross orders, yielding 889 net orders and pushing its year-end backlog to nearly 8,800 aircraft, a figure that effectively guarantees production well into the 2030s. Wide-body sales remained steady, with the A350 and A330neo programmes benefiting from airlines cautiously rebuilding long-haul operations. However, production limitations, particularly among engine suppliers and key component manufacturers, prevented Airbus from ramping up output at the pace many carriers would have preferred.

For Boeing, 2025 marked a significant turning point. After several years of regulatory scrutiny, production slowdowns and reputational challenges, the U.S. manufacturer recorded its strongest sales performance since 2018, securing more than 1,170 net aircraft orders, surpassing Airbus in net sales for the first time in seven years. This surge was driven primarily by renewed confidence in the 737 MAX family, which remained the backbone of Boeing’s narrow-body offering, particularly for low-cost and short-haul operators.

On the delivery front, Boeing handed over approximately 600 commercial aircraft in 2025, a meaningful improvement on recent years, though still trailing Airbus. Deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner continued to recover, while anticipation built around the eventual entry into service of the 777-9, which attracted renewed interest from long-haul operators planning future fleet renewals.

Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer and traditional leader in the regional jet market, also posted notable figures in 2025, reinforcing its role as a key supplier for feeder and short-haul operations that complement larger fleets. The company narrowly met its full-year delivery target for commercial jets, finishing 2025 with 78 E-Jet family aircraft delivered to operators, just above its initial forecast range of 77–85 units. These deliveries included 34 E175s, 6 E190-E2s and 38 E195-E2s, highlighting ongoing airline interest in the versatile E-Jet fleet.

In total, Embraer delivered 233 aircraft across all divisions, commercial, business and defence, in 2025, up markedly from the previous year. Of these, 155 were business jets, reflecting strong demand in that segment, and 78 were commercial regional jets, underscoring fleet renewal in the sub-150-seat category. Embraer’s regional aircraft order book also expanded in 2025, with firm orders from carriers including SkyWest, LATAM and Avelo Airlines that will underpin future deliveries. The company ended the third quarter of 2025 with a record firm backlog exceeding US$30 billion, reflecting sustained demand for E-Jet family aircraft.

Once again, narrow-body aircraft accounted for the overwhelming majority of sales in 2025. Rising demand for point-to-point travel, route flexibility and fuel efficiency made single-aisle jets indispensable for airlines rebuilding networks and opening new markets. Both the Airbus A320neo family and Boeing 737 MAX continued to dominate orders from airlines in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and emerging markets.

Regional jets such as Embraer’s E175 and E2 variants also saw firm demand from regional carriers and major network operators looking to serve thinner domestic and secondary markets with efficient, right-sized aircraft.

While international travel continued to recover in 2025, wide-body sales remained more cautious. Airlines focused on restoring profitability before committing to large long-haul fleet expansions. As a result, wide-body production rates remained well below pre-pandemic levels, contributing to a growing global shortage of large aircraft, particularly in the 250-plus passenger segment and raising lease rates for existing wide-body jets.

Industry analysts expect this imbalance to persist into the latter half of the decade, potentially constraining long-haul capacity growth and complicating network planning for airlines with ambitious international strategies.

Asia-Pacific remained a key driver of airliner sales, with carriers preparing for sustained passenger growth and network expansion. Middle Eastern airlines also placed strategic orders aligned with long-term hub expansion plans, while African operators increasingly focused on fleet renewal rather than outright growth. Leasing companies continued to play a critical role, accounting for a significant portion of new orders as airlines sought flexibility amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

As 2025 concluded, the commercial aviation industry found itself in a paradoxical position: demand for new aircraft has rarely been stronger, yet production capacity remains the industry’s primary constraint. Airbus, Boeing and Embraer are all working to stabilise supply chains, increase output and restore confidence, but meaningful improvements will take time.

For airlines, the message is clear: fleet planning has become a long-term exercise measured in decades rather than years, and the aircraft ordered in 2025 will help shape global airline networks well into the 2030s.