This is probably the most heated debate in aviation - which is better, Boeing or Airbus. Here are my thoughts on which one I prefer...
I think us aviation geeks out there can both agree that this is not an easy question, nor an easy answer. In most recent events both companies have received some major setbacks. As most of you know the Boeing 737 MAXs have faced problem after problem after 2 fatal crashes. Whereas Airbus have cancelled the A380 program due to not having enough customer demand. Now we could go into a lot of specific detail about orders, fleet size, revenue, etc but I don't want to bore you, so let's take a look at the aircrafts individually.
The two most popular aircraft are the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 - these two aircraft have been in constant competition with each other since the day they were released; and you have probably flown on either of them if not both! The 737 is so popular it is actually the highest selling commercial aircraft in history. Some people sometimes ask, "what's the difference between these two planes?" but really the differences are quite easy to spot. For example, if we take a look at the nose of both these aircrafts we notice that the nose of the Boeing 737 is much more pointed when compared to the Airbus A320. Now the next thing we can look at are the engines: on the A320 the engine cowlings are rounded whereas on the 737 they are flat - this is because the landing gear on the 737 is actually shorter, so if it were to have fully rounded engines, the clearance above the ground would be very small. And finally when the landing gear is retracted on the A320, it goes inside the aircraft and is covered, whereas on the 737 you can actually still see the wheels even when the gear is retracted. If you were to ask me which one is better, this is a tough choice, I can't choose: Airbus 1 - 1 Boeing
Two other big competitors include the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380. The 747 being the famous 'Queen of the Skies' with the iconic hump - growing up this is the aircraft I would have dreamed to fly. In 2003 Airbus introduced the A380 with a double deck rather than just the one and a half. Unfortunately now the 747s are slowly retiring and disappearing from the skies and the A380 program is being cancelled. In my opinion I think the A380 is too big and I love the 747 so for me Boeing wins. Airbus 1 - 2 Boeing
And finally in my opinion I would have to compare their latest aircrafts - the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 - the next generation of aircraft. Lighter, more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly: they can travel further and last longer than previous versions, similar to the new generation of the 737 MAXs and the A320 NEOs. These two aircraft look formidable and so sleek in the air - during their release they showed what seems like an almost vertical take off showing exactly what the performance of these aircrafts are like. The Boeing 787 displays a HUD (Head Up Display) similar to most fighter jets and the Airbus A350 consists of centralised computer panels in the flight deck - when coming in to land you can select which taxiway you want to vacate the runway via and the aircraft itself will apply that specific amount of braking automatically - incredible! I am a fan of both of these aircrafts but I think the A350 has the edge for me. Airbus 2- 2 Boeing
Like I said, this heated debate is not an easy question to answer, it is too difficult to choose for me. Most of my life I have wanted to fly Boeing but after spending 40 hours on an Airbus A320 for my MCC I've been swayed. Please let me know which you prefer, Boeing or Airbus?
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