Boeing outpaces Airbus in orders at Farnborough Airshow

Boeing secured more firm commercial aircraft orders than Airbus at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, which concluded on July 24. Boeing recorded 186 orders against Airbus's 157, according to figures compiled from the event.

The tally marks one of Boeing's strongest showings at the airshow in years, coming after a period marked by safety concerns, production problems and financial pressure. Industry observers linked the improvement to the efforts of chief executive Kelly Ortberg, who has focused on rebuilding trust with airline customers and stabilizing operations over the past two years.

Much of Boeing's order strength came from widebody demand, particularly the 787 Dreamliner. Riyadh Air ordered 28 additional 787s, while leasing firm AerCap added 15 more. Uganda Airlines selected four 787-9s along with four 737 MAX 8 jets as part of a fleet renewal effort. On the freighter side, MSC Air Cargo committed to five 777-8 Freighters.

Despite the order gap favoring Boeing, both manufacturers arrived at the airshow already holding backlogs stretching years into the future, so neither needed to demonstrate market demand. The more pressing issue for both companies, according to the report, is production capacity — building aircraft fast enough to meet existing commitments without compromising quality.

The report characterized Boeing's showing as encouraging but only a partial picture, noting that headline order numbers do not fully capture the operational challenges facing the industry.