Airbus topples Boeing as biggest plane maker

Deutsche Welle by MSN ^ | January 6, 2019 | Ashutosh Pandey

[NorseViking]

Europe's Airbus has become the world's biggest plane maker this year as its US rival Boeing struggles to get its bestselling MAX jets back in the skies.

Airbus — which has trailed Boeing since 2012 — delivered a record 863 aircraft in 2019, Reuters news agency reported, citing airport and tracking sources. Boeing, on the other hand, had delivered just 345 planes by the end of November and is on course for its worst performance in more than a decade, mainly hurt by the grounding of the MAX aircraft.

The US plane maker delivered 806 aircraft in 2018, slightly more than its European rival's tally of 800.

Boeing's 737 MAX jets have remained grounded since March last year following a fatal crash of the plane in Ethiopia that killed 157 people. The tragedy took place less than five months after another MAX crashed in the Java Sea off the Indonesian coast, killing 189 people. The grounding has cost the plane maker more than $9 billion (€8 billion) so far.

Boeing, which is also facing several compensation claims from victims' families and airlines hit by the grounding, has reported just 30 new orders for its MAX planes since the crash in Ethiopia. The plane maker said last month it would suspend production of the beleaguered aircraft in January amid concerns that the grounding would last well into this year.

[cymbeline]

“Capt Sully’s Chesley Burnett Sullenberger”

Hasn’t he said he thinks there’s something wrong with the 737MAX? Not that that proves anything. I know a corporate pilot that agrees with you — pilot incompetence.

I also agree with you but what do I know? All I know is that hundreds of those planes have flown successfully in their lifetime and now we have two crashes involving 3rd world airlines and 3rd world pilots.

I don’t blame the pilots personally. I blame their training.

[tallyhoe]

I don’t blame the pilots personally. I blame their training.

I blame both!