The Race To Stay Profitable In The Air Industry | CNBC Marathon

CNBC Marathon covers the ongoing competition within the air industry and its changing market.

Airbus and Boeing have been competing head to head for decades as the world’s largest commercial airplane makers. The European-based Airbus entered the market 56 years after its rival. And today, more than three-quarters of the world’s commercial aircraft is made up of Airbus and Boeing planes. The Boeing 737 family and Airbus 320 family are the companies best-selling aircraft and have been a crucial segment of competition. Over the last few years, Airbus has pulled ahead of Boeing when it comes to net profits, orders, deliveries and backlog. Experts say its A321neo narrow-body aircraft is propelling the company ahead of Boeing, which has been dealing with crisis after crisis the last several years. CNBC explores how Airbus came to be the biggest commercial plane manufacturer and whether it can stay on top.

United Airlines has been flying for nearly a century and has grown to be one of the biggest airlines in the world. Its stock was one of the best-performing of the U.S. airlines in 2024. It wants to be the most profitable, a position that’s been held by Delta Air Lines for several years. CNBC explores how United is trying to win over customers to become the biggest and most profitable airline in the world.

Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2024, the first major U.S. airline to do so since 2011. The iconic budget airline hasn’t had a profitable year since 2019 and it’s lost more than $2 billion since 2020. Faced with mounting losses and looming debt payments, Spirit has furloughed hundreds of pilots and offered salaried workers buyouts. It sold some of its Airbus fleet and cut routes. The airline has struggled with shifting demand, a spike in costs, and a Pratt and Whitney engine recall grounding dozens of its jets, weaker-than-expected sales and a failed acquisition with JetBlue Airways. How did the icon of U.S. budget air travel get here and what’s next for the low cost carrier?

Between Airbus profiting while Boeing suffers from crises faced over the last few years, United Airlines chasing the number 1 spot in profitability against Delta and Spirit filing for bankruptcy, the battle to maintain dominance in the sky is a challenge for airlines and airplane manufacturers alike. CNBC takes a deeper look into how these global names have continued to navigate the playing field, who's currently in the lead, and how the odds may change across the next decade.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
1:03: How Airbus Surpassed Boeing To Become The World’s Top Planemaker (Published June 2025)
21:38: How United Airlines Is Trying To Compete With Delta (Published October 2024)
36:56: What Went Wrong With Spirit Airlines? (Published January 2025)

Produced, Shot and Edited by: Erin Black
Animation: Andrea Schmitz, Christina Locopo, Jason Reginato
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Additional Camera: Natalie Rice
Editorial Support: Leslie Josephs
Additional Footage: Airbus, Boeing, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Getty Images, Denver International Airport, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines

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