There is no single, defensible ranking of Boeing’s biggest airline customers. The answer depends on what “biggest” measures: aircraft currently flown, firm aircraft on order, cumulative purchases, or leadership within one aircraft family. Boeing’s public releases report notable airline orders, such as Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, WestJet and Korean Air, but they do not publish a consolidated league table that ranks airlines across those measures. The most accurate answer today is to name the leading customers for each metric, with its date and aircraft family.
Why there is no official ranking
Boeing reports orders, deliveries and backlog for the company as a whole. It does not break its commercial business down by airline in a way that allows a clean league table. Even within the company’s own disclosures, the numbers are built on different definitions, so they cannot simply be added together or compared.
The main constraint is how Boeing defines backlog. In its 2025 Form 10-K, the company states: “Backlog excludes options and customer financing orders as well as orders where customers have the unilateral right to terminate.” Boeing also says it assesses whether customers are committed and whether it is probable they will pay. An announced intention, a purchase option or a cancelable order therefore does not count the same way as a firm contract.
Four ways to measure “biggest”
Before naming any airline, state which measure you are using and the date it applies to.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#1 Best Overall
- From the Original Aurora Tooling which was updated by Monogram in the late 1970's
- Kit is molded in white with clear part for windshield
- Decals for Boeing Prototype
- Features detailed landing gear with 13.5 inch wingspan
- Skill Level 2. This package contains 36 parts. 1/96 scale model kit. Recommend black, gray and silver paint. Paint and glue sold separately. Recommended ages fourteen years and up. Made in USA.
| Measure | What it counts | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet in service | Boeing aircraft an airline operates on a given date | Whether aircraft are owned, leased, or ordered by a lessor; fleet counts vary by data source and date |
| Firm unfilled orders | Committed aircraft not yet delivered, as of one reporting date | Options, customer-financing orders, and orders a customer can cancel unilaterally |
| Cumulative purchases | All orders or deliveries over a defined period | Current fleet size or future commitments, unless the period is stated |
| Family leadership | The largest customer within one family, such as the 737, 777 or 787 | Standing across Boeing’s whole portfolio |
Notable airline customers from recent reporting
The figures below come from Boeing’s own releases and from company announcements in 2025 and early 2026. They are not directly comparable: several are order-book totals, others are new orders in one quarter, and some are stated intentions.
| Airline | Reported figure | Aircraft family | Date and source | Status as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 105 737-10s and five 787-9s ordered | 737-10, 787-9 | Q4 2025, Boeing order reporting | Ordered in the quarter |
| Alaska Airlines | 737 MAX order book of 174 | 737 MAX | January 2026, Boeing newsroom | Order-book total |
| Delta Air Lines | 787 order book of 130 | 787 | January 2026, Boeing newsroom | Order-book total |
| Emirates | 65 777-9s ordered | 777-9 | Q4 2025, Boeing order reporting | Ordered in the quarter |
| Turkish Airlines | Order for up to 75 787s, plus additional 737 MAX commitments | 787, 737 MAX | 2025 announcement | “Up to” signals a ceiling, not a confirmed count; 737 MAX count not stated |
| WestJet | Firm Boeing order book of 123 aircraft | Not stated | 2025 announcement | Order-book statement, not a fleet count |
| Korean Air | Intent to purchase 103 jets | Not stated | Announced intent | Not stated as a firm contract |
Alaska and Delta are strong on order-book measures within their chosen families, and Emirates ranks high on recent large widebody commitments. None of these entries, though, shows whether an airline is larger than another in total Boeing aircraft. Adding a 737 MAX order book to a 787 order book, or adding an announced intention to a firm contract, produces a number that describes nothing a reader can verify.
Rank #2
- This kit includes our famous swivel stand for in-flight display
Firm orders, options and intentions
Four categories appear in airline announcements, and each carries a different level of commitment:
- Firm order: a binding purchase that counts toward backlog once Boeing judges it committed and likely to be paid.
- Option or “up to” figure: a right to buy additional aircraft that the customer may never exercise. Turkish Airlines’ 787 wording falls here.
- Order-book statement: an airline’s own summary of firm aircraft on order, such as WestJet’s 123-aircraft figure. It describes the airline’s commitments, not its fleet.
- Announced intent: a stated plan to buy aircraft, such as Korean Air’s 103 jets, which may later become firm or change in size.
Lessors versus airlines
A leasing company can be Boeing’s contractual customer while an airline becomes the eventual operator. In that case, the order is recorded under the lessor, and the aircraft may later appear in an airline’s fleet. Any ranking that counts operated aircraft must decide whether leased jets count toward the airline, and any ranking of orders must decide whether a lessor is treated as a separate customer. Neither choice is correct by default.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #3
- ALL-IN-ONE MODEL SET: Includes everything needed to complete the build right out of the box—1:288 scale plastic parts, basic Revell paint colors, a paintbrush, and model glue.
- 25 PRECISION PARTS & SKILL LEVEL 3: Features 25 finely molded parts designed for modelers aged 10 and up seeking an easy-to-assemble Revell Skill Level 3 kit.
- POPULAR COMMERCIAL AIRLINER: Recreates the Boeing 737-800, one of the most successful and widely produced twinjet passenger aircraft in modern civil aviation history.
- AUTHENTIC STRUCTURED DETAILS: Features textured surfaces with inlaid engravings, along with a structured fuselage and wings that enhance the realistic look.
- ACCURATE 1:288 SCALE: Finished model measures 5.39 inches in length, 1.69 inches in height, with a 5-inch wingspan, and includes multilingual illustrated assembly instructions.
Company-wide figures for context
These numbers describe Boeing as a whole and say nothing about any single airline’s share:
- 600 commercial airplane deliveries in 2025, per Boeing’s 2026 results release.
- More than 6,100 commercial airplanes in backlog at December 31, 2025, per the same release.
- Backlog for the Boeing Commercial Airplanes segment of $567.290 billion at December 31, 2025, compared with $435.175 billion a year earlier, per the 2025 Form 10-K.
- Backlog for the same segment of $596.724 billion at June 30, 2026, per the 2026 Form 10-Q.
How to check a claim about a Boeing customer
- Name the metric (fleet, firm orders, cumulative purchases, or one family) and the reporting date.
- Find the Boeing newsroom release for the order and note whether it says “ordered,” “order book,” “up to,” or “intends to purchase.”
- Check the backlog definition in the latest Form 10-K or 10-Q to confirm whether options or cancelable orders are excluded.
- Identify the buyer: an airline, a leasing company, or an unnamed customer.
- Compare only figures from the same date and the same aircraft family. If the dates or families differ, state that the comparison is partial.
Where the public evidence runs out
Boeing’s releases and SEC filings do not publish a current, consolidated list of airline customers ranked by fleet size, firm orders and cumulative purchases. The figures above are the most recent named examples from company reporting, and they show which airlines have made large commitments, not which is the largest overall. A complete ranking would need customer-level data that separates airlines from lessors and firm orders from options, and that data is not available in the public sources this article relies on.
Rank #4
- Reissue of the classic 1/120 box scale Boeing B-29
- Measures 10 1/2 inches long with a 14 inch wingspan
- This kit comes molded in silver with clear swivel stand and another display stand option
- Updated decals for 3 versions! Built up by Bill Engar with Dauntless Dotty decals
- Skill Level 2. This 8.1x2.2x15.9 inch package contains 44 parts. Made in the USA.
For investors, the more useful figure is usually Boeing’s backlog, because it shows the company’s total committed work. For a view of a single airline’s relationship with Boeing, check its own fleet plan and its latest order-book disclosure.
Dates and figures are as reported in the sources named above, as of October 2026. Boeing’s order and backlog numbers change each reporting period.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Quick Recap
Best Value
- 1:450 Scale Plastic Model kit/ 22 parts
- Required assembly and painting
- Glue and Paints are not included
- Measures 15.8 cm/6.3" in length and it has 13.3 cm /5.3" span width
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
