Airframers accelerate: 2025 marks a turning point – but not the take-off airlines had hoped for

After years of turbulence, the global airframe manufacturing sector is finally finding clearer skies in 2025 - but the climb is proving shallower than many airlines had banked on.

Airbus and Boeing have lifted deliveries to their highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, yet persistent supply chain knots and uneven industrial recoveries mean the long-awaited surge in output remains elusive.

With just over 1,060 aircraft handed over by Oct-2025, both OEMs are gearing up for a year-end sprint to meet ambitious production targets and ease the delivery frustrations of operators hungry for capacity renewal.

Beneath the headline numbers, however, the story is one of contrasting trajectories: Airbus pressing ahead with measured ramp-ups across its narrowbody and widebody lines, and Boeing striving to stabilise its manufacturing ecosystem after years of upheaval.

Meanwhile, Embraer - often overlooked in the glare of its larger rivals - quietly posts its strongest backlog in a decade, underscoring shifting dynamics in the global supply landscape.