The Aerospace Recovery Is Still Going Strong: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
Orders for planes are up, but supply chain issues are causing major lags.


Manufacturing was hit hard by the pandemic, and its rebound will be marked by ups and downs. To help you understand what is going on and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly-experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest...
Halfway through the year, the aerospace recovery is still going strong. But Airbus is outpacing U.S. rival Boeing. Through June of this year, Airbus netted 1,044 new aircraft orders, roughly quadruple the 259 orders the European planemaker took in the first half of last year. By contrast, Boeing has scored only 415 new orders, versus 186 during the same period in 2022.
Both companies will continue to see increases in new orders this year, though Boeing continues to slide into a distant second place in market share. So, their backlogs of unfilled orders keep expanding. Airbus: 7,967, versus 7,046 in June 2022. Boeing: 4,879, up from 4,239 at this point last year.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The bigger question is how quickly the planemakers can increase deliveries to customers amid ongoing supply chain issues. Both Airbus (316 first-half deliveries, versus 295 in 2022) and Boeing (266 first-half deliveries, compared with 216 in 2022) have made some progress in this area and are opening new production facilities to speed up the process. But with certain components and materials (semiconductors, titanium, etc.) still strained, it will not always be smooth sailing.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Related Content
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

-
Dismal August Jobs Report Offers Rate-Cut Relief: What the Experts Are Saying
The August jobs report came in much lower than expected, lifting the odds that several rate cuts will come through by year's end.
-
Ask the Editor — Tax Questions on the SALT Deduction
Ask the Editor In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, we answer questions from readers on the OBBB's changes to the SALT deduction.
-
AI Start-ups Are Rolling in Cash
The Kiplinger Letter Investors are plowing record sums of money into artificial intelligence start-ups. Even as sales grow swiftly, losses are piling up for AI firms.
-
What is AI Worth to the Economy?
The Letter Spending on AI is already boosting GDP, but will the massive outlays being poured into the technology deliver faster economic growth in the long run?
-
Kiplinger Special Report: Business Costs for 2026
Economic Forecasts Fresh forecasts for 2026, to help you plan ahead and prepare a budget on a range of business costs, from Kiplinger's Letters team.
-
Trump-Era Regulations Will Broaden Access to Crypto
The Kiplinger Letter The president wants to make the U.S. the leader in digital assets.
-
Breaking China's Stranglehold on Rare Earth Elements
The Letter China is using its near-monopoly on critical minerals to win trade concessions. Can the U.S. find alternate supplies?
-
America's Surprising Strengths in Manufacturing and Exports
The Kiplinger Letter Despite common perceptions that the U.S. doesn't build things anymore, American factories are still hard at work. A special report from The Kiplinger Letter.
-
The Economic Impact of the US-China Trade War
The Letter The US-China trade war will impact US consumers and business. The decoupling process could be messy.
-
What DOGE is Doing Now
The Kiplinger Letter As Musk's DOGE pursues its ambitious agenda, uncertainty and legal challenges are mounting — causing frustration for Trump.