The competition between Airbus and Boeing is probably one of the biggest in the business world and the question of what is the best between these two companies is asked to almost every pilot, including me. Now I want to ask you the same question but about BMW and Mercedes Benz, or Apple and Microsoft – which one is better? Both are cars, both are computers, doing the same job but with different concepts and styles. Right? The same goes for Airbus and Boeing. Both are airplanes that fly safely from A to B caring millions of passengers. So we don’t have to search which one is better, instead, we have to ask what differences they have. 

The Difference Between Airbus And Boeing

For a better understanding of these differences let’s take Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 as an example, as they are the biggest-selling jets ever and both are twin jets narrow-body aircraft. So let’s start with:

Visual Differences – Nose Shape – If you want to spot the visual difference between these two aircraft then first look at the airplane’s nose, if it has round-shape, then in front of you is the Airbus, if it’s pointed, definitely you spotted Boeing. The Landing Gear is the second most visual difference with Airbus having longer landing gear than that of Boeing. Cockpit windows can also indicate the difference with Boeing having V-shaped windows at its bottom whereas the Airbus has straight-shaped cockpit windows. 

But, besides visual differences, we also have some specific characteristics for these aircraft, which are:

Length – The Airbus A320 is 31.25m – 41.44m long, whereas Boeing is 31.24m – 44.11m.

Range – Airbus A320 has 5750 to 5950 km range, whereas Boeing has 5460–5991 km.

Passengers Capacities – The Airbus A320 depending on a model can carry 135-180 passengers, while Boeing 737 has a capacity of 108-177 passengers. 

Now, let’s go inside and see the cockpit. Here you can immediately see the fundamental difference of flight systems and how pilots fly these airplanes. On the Boeing 737, the pilot’s yoke and pedals are hydraulically boosted and mechanically connected to the plane’s aerodynamic control surfaces. In a fly-by-wire aircraft like the Airbus A320, the movements of the side-stick are interpreted by the computers driving the control surfaces.

There are other differences between these aircraft like wing design, engines, names of systems and equipment, etc. We can also compare other aircraft like Airbus A350 with Boeing 777 or Airbus A380 with Boeing 747, but the most important thing to note that these are almost the same airplanes but the concepts and design are different. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what airplane you are going to fly, all that matters is that you are going to fly and experience that amazing feeling of flight, isn’t it?

Until next time, and as always, “We Speak Aviation.”