Air travel is widely considered the safest way to cover long distances. Statistical, drives for airports pose more risk for passengers than drive flights.
But when an aircraft accident occurs – last week (June 12) search as Air India flight 171 – the figures provide little comfort. It killed 270 people, including 241 out of 242 people.
As the discovery is tragic as accidents, their results expand into the economic realm. With efficiency and environmental compatibility, operational safety remains the most important sales point for a passenger aircraft.
Airbus takes lead
For decades, Boeing was a global leader in commercial aviation. But in recent years, the company, which is located in Arlington, Virginia and employs 170,000 people, has struggled, often posted.
In 2024, thisOperating loss reported About $ 11.8 billion (€ 10.21 billion) on revenue of $ 66.5 billion.
it Distributed 348 Commercial Passenger Airplanes – Reduction in 2023 compared to 528 delivery. The recession is attributed to the challenges, including a machineist strike in the mid-air door plug blowout and fall in January, as well as issues of the ongoing supply chain.
Last year, Boeing’s delivery was much lower than the rival Airbus, which distributed 766 aircraft.
Airbus, which has been around 160,000 employees, Posted for operational benefits About € 5 billion ($ 5.78 billion) on revenue of € 69.2 billion in the same period.
However, production and sales figures for commercial aircraft only reveal the part of the story. Both companies are so active in space systems and defense construction, making direct comparison more complex.
Bad luck and blunders for Airbus and Boeing
Air India Crash is just the latest setback for Boeing’s security record. In recent years, the American company has repeatedly stumbled from an accident to another, working with technical failures and production snags.
One of the clear indications of Boeing’s ongoing crises, specificly compared to Airbus, how each company handled its largest aircraft.
For Airbus, it was the A380, the largest passenger aircraft ever. Airports around the world had to update the infrastructure discovery as terminals, gates and handling capacities to adjust the double-day legend.
But Airbus stopped production in 2021, it became clear that many airlines found A380 too large and very large to operate. With four engines, the aircraft was expensive to maintain. In addition, with 500 and 850 passengers seated, it was difficult to fill, making it financially risky.
From Dreamliner to sadness
Boeing took a different view. After the production of iconic but older 747 jumbo jets, Boeing targeted to offer a competitive option for A380 by developing 787 – Dreamliner – based on the development of 767.
While Airbus quietly phased out the A380, Boeing found himself into negative headlines about Dreamliner. There were IT issues with new overall content and coordination failures with suppliers. Testing flights were canceled, the first flights were delayed, and the delivery deadline missed.
Then there were security concerns. In 2013, the aircraft was taken to the ground worldwide due to two separate incidents related to battery fire, shortly after the First Dreamliners entered the service.
Subsidy dispute in America and Europe
The rivalry between Airbus and Boeing has been under the name of European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) in 2000 since the official founder of Airbus. Their fight for the dominance of the market has also taken place in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the governments of both the US and Europe.
There was a dispute at the center of conflict that becomes more in government subsidy – and those subsidies are appropriate.
This is an almost impossible question to answer. While only one federal government is included in the US, there are many players in Europe – European Commission in Netherlands, UK, France, Spain, Germany and Brussels.
Adding to complexity is the fact that both firms compete in space and defense. While neither the defense contract tops the global ranking, Boeing ranks sixth among the world’s largest defense companies, which is ahead of Airbus, which sits at number 13. Nevertheless, both are prominent players.
The challenge for two defense contractors is that both rely too much on government contracts, which not just funds research and development, but governments are their biggest customers. This makes it difficult to determine subsidy or clarify the subject for a business section.
Boeing, Airbus face fresh contestants
Brazilian embroidery focuses only on small regional aircraft. Bombardier of Canada, located in Montreal, has completely transferred the business jets’ top market.
It leaves China, one of the world’s largest aviation markets, now a homegrine aircraft manufacturer Watching Watching: China’s Commercial Aircraft Corporation or Comac.
Established in Shanghai with support from the Chinese government in 2008, COMAC unveiled its first model of C919 in 2015-a twin-engine passenger aircraft fully gathered in China.
In partnership with Russian aerospace and defense company UAC, COMAC plans to develop a long distance version by 2028, C929.
At least then, the market for broad body commercial aircraft will dominate two Titans in the US and Europe.
This article was original in German.
