[kach22i]

Sep. 8, 2018,
How Airbus became Boeing's greatest rival
https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-history-boeing-rivalry-2018-4#to-differentiate-itself-from-the-competition-airbus-made-it-a-strategic-point-to-offer-a-high-level-of-technology-in-all-of-its-aircraft-this-included-innovative-construction-techniques-like-the-employment-of-lightweight-composite-materials-11

To differentiate itself from the competition, Airbus made it a strategic point to offer a high level of technology in all of its aircraft. This included innovative construction techniques like the employment of lightweight composite materials...........

Over the past 20 years, the commercial aviation industry has come to be dominated by Airbus and Boeing.

Airbus and Boeing each own roughly 50% of the global commercial airliner market.

Airbus is relatively new when compared to Boeing. While Boeing has been around since 1916, the Airbus consortium did not come together until 1970.

Airbus currently boasts a production backlog of around 7,500 planes while Boeing's backlog is around 5,900 aircraft.

In June 1981, Air France announced its intent to buy 25 of the yet-to-be-launched jet. Since then, the A320 family has been the best selling jet in the world with more than 14,000 planes ordered.

The A320 marked the arrival of the digital cockpit and fly-by-wire technology in airliners. According to Aboulafia, the A320 and its many technological innovations make it Airbus's greatest contribution to commercial aviation.