The Boeing / Airbus duopoly

Two manufacturers share almost the whole world market for airliners above 100 seats: Airbus, which delivered 766 aircraft in 2024, and Boeing, held back to 348 the same year by the 737 MAX crisis. Together they carry more than 14,000 aircraft in backlog, meaning years of production already sold and multi-year delivery waits for airlines. The lock is the lack of a credible short-term alternative: China's COMAC (C919) is ramping up but stays marginal and itself depends on Western engines and systems. Deliveries and backlogs from Airbus and Boeing releases (January 2025).