Airbus and Boeing rack up orders at Farnborough as Airbus targets 2030 for next-generation jet
Airbus says first-half deliveries rose 15%, keeping it on track for 870 aircraft this year, while both planemakers secured large commitments from lessor SMBC Aviation Capital at the Farnborough International Airshow.
Deals on day one and two
Boeing pulled in almost 150 orders on the opening day, led by a 100-jet commitment for 737 Max aircraft from Dublin-based lessor SMBC Aviation Capital. The US planemaker also secured 48 orders and options for its 787 Dreamliner from Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air and from Philippine Airlines, which placed its first Boeing order in nearly 20 years. Deliveries to Philippine Airlines are not expected until 2031, reflecting order books that stretch well into the next decade.
Airbus punched back on Tuesday with its own 100-aircraft A320neo-family commitment from SMBC, matching the lessor's Boeing deal. Both manufacturers are largely sold out of their most popular single-aisle models for years ahead.
Demand from customers remains robust and the public is still keen to fly despite rising ticket prices.
Airbus delivery momentum
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told CNBC that first-half 2026 deliveries were 15 percent higher than in the first half of 2025, a pace he called consistent with the ramp-up trajectory needed to reach the full-year target of 870 aircraft. Engine supplies have stabilised, helping the European planemaker maintain its production climb.
We have delivered 15% more aircraft in the first half of 2026 than we did in the first half of 2025. So that's very consistent with the ramp-up trajectory we want to deliver this year.
The next single-aisle race
Airbus used the show to advance its vision for a future single-aisle jet, unveiling an extended, foldable "wing of tomorrow". Bruno Fichefeux, head of future programs, said the company aims to launch the programme in 2030, with the aircraft entering service in the second half of the decade. Faury described that timeline as "almost tomorrow" in an interview with Bloomberg Television.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, by contrast, said the successor to the 737 will not reach the market until the end of the next decade, as the company continues to repair its finances and because customers are still buying the current model.
So that's a bit more than 10 years away, which in our timeframe is almost tomorrow, so we feel energized.
X-Wing demonstrator and engine bets
Flight tests of an A321 fitted with the longer, slimmer folding wings are due to begin by the end of this year from the Cazaux airbase in southern France. The X-Wing demonstrator will collect aerodynamic performance data, with a target of reducing fuel consumption by 20 to 30 percent. Airbus is prioritising an open-fan engine architecture, working with CFM, while also continuing research with Pratt & Whitney on nacelle-enclosed designs.
The projected performance of the open-fan engine is convincing. Wind-tunnel tests are planned. The goal is to build up the right level of confidence by 2030 to enable the launch of a program, which ideally means having flown by then.
Hydrogen and the A350 stretch
Airbus is also advancing hydrogen-powered aircraft plans, having recently partnered with German engine-maker MTU. The move sidelines historic supplier Safran, whose CEO Olivier Andries has said hydrogen aircraft are more suited to the next century. Separately, Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic told journalists that he expects Airbus to finalise the design of an extended A350 within a year, a decision that would require Rolls-Royce to build a new engine.
- Boeing secures almost 150 orders, including 100 737 Max jets from SMBC Aviation Capital and 48 787 orders/options from Riyadh Air and Philippine Airlines.
- Airbus announces 100 A320neo-family commitment from SMBC Aviation Capital, reports 15% rise in first-half deliveries, and unveils future single-aisle and hydrogen plans.
