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
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
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.

-
Nasdaq Drops 172 Points on MSFT AI Spend: Stock Market TodayMicrosoft, Meta Platforms and a mid-cap energy stock have a lot to say about the state of the AI revolution today.
-
Don't Overpay the IRS: 6 Tax Mistakes That Could Be Raising Your BillTax Tips Is your income tax bill bigger than expected? Here's how you should prepare for next year.
-
Flashback Finance: The Cost of Retiring the Year You Were BornJust like groceries, gas and home prices, the cost of retiring is subject to inflation. Here is a look at what it cost to retire in the year you were born.
-
Trump Reshapes Foreign PolicyThe Kiplinger Letter The President starts the new year by putting allies and adversaries on notice.
-
Congress Set for Busy WinterThe Kiplinger Letter The Letter editors review the bills Congress will decide on this year. The government funding bill is paramount, but other issues vie for lawmakers’ attention.
-
The Kiplinger Letter's 10 Forecasts for 2026The Kiplinger Letter Here are some of the biggest events and trends in economics, politics and tech that will shape the new year.
-
Special Report: The Future of American PoliticsThe Kiplinger Letter The Political Trends and Challenges that Will Define the Next Decade
-
What to Expect from the Global Economy in 2026The Kiplinger Letter Economic growth across the globe will be highly uneven, with some major economies accelerating while others hit the brakes.
-
Shoppers Hit the Brakes on EV Purchases After Tax Credits ExpireThe Letter Electric cars are here to stay, but they'll have to compete harder to get shoppers interested without the federal tax credit.
-
The Economy on a Knife's EdgeThe Letter GDP is growing, but employers have all but stopped hiring as they watch how the trade war plays out.
-
Banks Are Sounding the Alarm About StablecoinsThe Kiplinger Letter The banking industry says stablecoins could have a negative impact on lending.