Recently, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been overtaking the Airbus A350 in terms of sales as more airlines opt for the American-made widebody jetliner. Although the A350 is known for its excellent performance and low maintenance costs, the 787 has gained traction among customers primarily because of its overall efficiency and competitive pricing.
The Airbus A350 is meant to compete with Boeing's 787 and 777 jets. However, it has not managed to outperform its rivals in sales. The main reasons for this lag are the lower price and better operational efficiency of the 787, which have led airlines to prefer it over the A350.
Recently, the 787 program has faced some challenges regarding production quality issues and frustrated its customers due to delivery delays. Despite these hurdles, the 787 is gaining momentum over the A350 in new widebody jetliner orders and is gradually pulling ahead.
Fundamentally, the best-selling models 787-9 and A350-900 are on equal footing in terms of performance and costs. However, in recent key sales battles, Boeing has consistently emerged victorious over its rival Airbus.
Actually, the A350 has another competitive drawback compared to the 787. Airbus' flagship widebody is exclusively equipped with Rolls-Royce engines.
Boeing provides a choice between the GEnx and the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, whereas the A350 solely relies on the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB. The head of the British engine manufacturer recently referred to the company as a "burning platform." Consequently, airlines seem to view the GEnx-powered 787 as a safer option, particularly for sizable orders.
The US planemaker has so far received 1,566 orders for its Dreamliner family jets. In contrast, Airbus registered 935 orders for the A350 family. If we look at deliveries, Boeing has delivered 987 Dreamliners, while Airbus has delivered 497 A350s.
The demand for travel on long-haul routes has significantly increased since the travel restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 epidemic were lifted. Both manufacturers are now increasing the production rate of their widebody jets. The European planemaker aims to produce nine A350s per month by the end of 2025, which is three more than its current rate.
