Boeing and Airbus Airplanes Just Got More Expensive
Prospective Airbus and Boeing customers should expect to pay a bit more for their new aircraft. The world's two major aircraft manufacturers both announced this month that they've increased list prices for 2018.
In a press release, Airbus announced that its list prices have increased across its product line by 2%. On the other hand, Boeing quietly increased its list prices by 4.1% for its commercial airplanes — 2.1% more than its counterpart. Unlike Airbus, Boeing didn't publicly announce the increase in a press release.
Here's a look at the price comparisons for comparable products from both Airbus and Boeing:
| Product (Boeing vs. Airbus) | 2018 Airbus Price | 2018 Boeing Price |
|---|---|---|
| 737-700 vs. A319 | $92.3 million | $85.8 million |
| 737-800 vs. A320 | $101 million | $102.2 million |
| 737-900ER vs. A321 | $118.3 million | $108.4 million |
| 737 MAX 7 vs. A319neo | $101.5 million | $96 million |
| 737 MAX 8 vs. A320neo | $110.6 million | $117.1 million |
| 737 MAX 9 vs. A321neo | $129.5 million | $124.1 million |
| 767-300ER vs. A330-200 | $238.5 million | $209.8 million |
| 787-8 vs. A350-800 | $280.6 million | $239 million |
| 787-9 vs. A350-900 | $317.4 million | $281.6 million |
| 787-10 vs. A350-1000 | $366.5 million | $325.8 million |
| 747-8 vs. A380-800 | $445.6 million | $402.9 million |
Note that while the list price for each of the aircraft types is listed above, customers often receive discounts for placing orders in bulk. In addition, there are several other aircraft not listed in the above chart — check the individual list pricing for both Boeing and Airbus on their respective sites. There are some chin scratchers, too — for example, Boeing raised the price on its 767-300ER, but it hasn't produced one of the aircraft in several years.
Historically, changes to list prices aren't uncommon. However, Boeing's 2018 increase is more dramatic compared to years past. In both 2015 and 2016, Boeing kept its list prices unchanged, but in 2017, it raised its list prices 2% across the board.