Before the COVID-19 pandemic, China had seen a flourishing domestic airline industry. As reported by Statista , the country saw over 659 million passengers take to the skies in 2019 alone. However, the recent pandemic resulted in a demand shock, and though the market is recovering, some industry players are proving more successful than others.
As Chinese airlines ordered more airplanes to replace older aircraft and expand their fleet, Airbus pulled ahead of its American rival Boeing . Airbus aircraft like the A320neo family and A350 have seen tremendous success compared to the Boeing 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner. In fact, China Eastern just reached a significant milestone by taking delivery of its first A321neo .
But why does Boeing trail behind its European rival in this market? Boeing's Position in China Boeing's performance deficit in China is significant- and has only grown in recent years. According to Aerotime , the US aircraft manufacturer delivered only seven aircraft to Chinese airlines in 2021. By comparison, Airbus delivered 124 aircraft— over 15 times more than Boeing.
Clearly, Airbus has earned a definitive lead. However, the market was much more competitive up until the start of the pandemic. In 2018, Boeing delivered 194 aircraft to Chinese airlines—28 more than Airbus.
Boeing’s popular 737 MAX accounted for most of these deliveries, but the manufacturer also delivered over 25 widebody aircraft. While Airbus has been delivering more commercial jets to China.