With the latest delivery of an Airbus A320 series aircraft to Saudi Arabian Nas Air, the series has surpassed the Boeing 737 series in total deliveries for the first time, becoming the most delivered aircraft in aviation history.
The Airbus A320 first flew in 1987. According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, as reported by Reuters on July 7, since entering the market in 1988, the Airbus A320 series has accumulated 12,260 deliveries, breaking the long-standing record held by the Boeing 737 series.
Reuters reported that the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 series were initially designed for large hub airports but were later widely adopted by low-cost airlines. After the 9/11 attacks, Boeing reduced production due to weak market demand, while Airbus actively sought low-cost airline customers to expand its market share.
Boeing launched the 737 series in the 1960s, establishing it as the industry standard for narrow-body aircraft. However, in October 2018 and March 2019, two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed, killing 346 people in total. Subsequent investigations found that the aircraft’s software system had a safety design flaw, causing a severe trust crisis in the safety and quality of Boeing aircraft.
