When the A320 series of aircraft surpassed the Boeing 737 to become the most delivered airliner in history on Tuesday, Europe's Airbus breached a significant commercial barrier.
According to industry standard benchmark data from UK based consultancy Cirium, Boeing broke a decades old record when a plane was delivered overnight to Saudi airline Flynas, raising the total number of deliveries since the A320 went into service in 1988 to 12,260.A request for comment on the data, which was followed by aircraft supply analyst Rob Morris, was not immediately answered by Airbus.
In between them More than 25,000 such aircraft have been delivered by Boeing and Airbus.
Originally intended to supply major hubs, these aircraft were later frequently used by low cost carriers, which Airbus pursued after Boeing reduced production amid a decline in demand following 9/11.
The broken ceiling in the narrow-body market caps a 40 year transatlantic struggle for market share following early disputes over strategy and the distribution of jobs among partner nations, France, Germany, Spain, and Britain.
Airbus is already the largest plane maker in the world by total annual deliveries.
