Europe’s Airbus has achieved a major milestone in aviation with its A320 family officially overtaking Boeing’s 737 to become the most-delivered jetliner in history. The record was reached this week when Airbus delivered an A320 to Saudi airline Flynas, bringing total deliveries of the model to 12,260 since it first entered service in 1988, according to UK-based consultancy Cirium.

Together, Airbus and Boeing have delivered over 25,000 single-aisle jets. These aircraft were initially designed to connect passengers to major airports, but over time they became the backbone of low-cost carriers around the world. Airbus’s growth accelerated when Boeing slowed production after the post-9/11 travel slump, helping the European manufacturer become the world’s largest plane maker by annual deliveries.

The A320 story began in 1984, when Airbus engineers in Toulouse, France, introduced fly-by-wire technology, replacing manual flight controls with computer-assisted systems. While initially met with skepticism, this innovation soon became a global standard. The first A320 flew in 1987, and today Airbus even produces the plane in the U.S. and China, showing the global reach of the program.

For decades, the Boeing 737 was the most popular single-aisle aircraft. Introduced in the 1960s, it became a reliable choice for both full-service and budget airlines. However, after two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, the fleet was grounded worldwide, slowing deliveries and creating opportunities for Airbus to grow.

Boeing is now working on a next-generation single-aisle aircraft that could eventually replace the 737 Max. While the project is still in early design stages, it shows that the competition between Airbus and Boeing continues.

This milestone highlights not just Airbus’s success but also the evolving global aviation market, where airlines, manufacturers, and maintenance providers must adapt to rapidly changing fleets and technologies.