Key facts
- Airbus delivered 475 aircraft in the first eight months of 2026, a 9% increase from the prior year.
- Airbus is on track to meet its 2026 delivery target of 870 aircraft.
- Boeing delivered 51 jets in August, a decrease from the previous month and year.
- Boeing's 787 Dreamliner deliveries fell significantly in August.
- Airbus recorded 67 gross orders in August, including 40 A321neos for Shenzhen Airlines and 15 A350-900s for Air China.
Airbus reported a 9% increase in aircraft deliveries for the first eight months of 2026, delivering 475 jets compared to 434 in the same period last year. This performance places the European planemaker on track to meet its annual target of 870 deliveries.
Despite the overall increase, deliveries of the A330 wide-body jet faced a temporary setback. Following the discovery of a lost tool in an A330 tail section, deliveries were suspended in June and July. One A330 was delivered in August, bringing the year-to-date total to 11, a 31% decrease. In contrast, deliveries of the popular A320-family narrowbody rose 11%.
In August alone, Airbus delivered 57 commercial aircraft, with single-aisle jets accounting for the majority. The company also recorded 67 gross orders during the month, with Shenzhen Airlines ordering 40 A321neos and Air China ordering 15 A350-900s. Year-to-date, Airbus has secured 1,157 gross orders, which, after 66 cancellations, results in a net total of 1,091 aircraft.
Boeing, meanwhile, delivered 51 jets in August, a slight dip from the previous month and down from 57 a year earlier, as the number of 787 Dreamliners handed to customers declined. The company delivered only four 787s in August, down from nine the prior year. Boeing still expects to deliver 90 to 100 787s by the end of the year. Increasing output of the twin-aisle jet is crucial to Boeing's financial turnaround. Through August, Boeing has delivered 418 aircraft, the most since 2018. Boeing booked 15 new orders in August, with no cancellations.
Airbus typically concentrates a significant portion of its deliveries towards the end of the year. To achieve its 2026 target, the company will need to average nearly 99 deliveries per month in the final four months, a substantial acceleration from the current monthly average of approximately 59.4.