A Head to Head Transatlantic Rivalry

The world's biggest makers of civilian aircraft, Airbus and Boeing, are locked in a head-to-head Transatlantic rivalry. While the number of airliners that are being ordered by airlines varies from year to year, the overall shipments have risen since 2003.

The European conglomerate Airbus shipped 305 planes in 2003 and handed over 688 airliners to customers in 2016. American rival Boeing delivered 281 and 748 airliners in respective years.

The dipping of the graph after 2007 shows how the world economic crisis took its toll on orders placed with both producers. As the below infographic shows orders picked up after 2009, but started receding after 2014.