Currently, there are eight companies building passenger jets around the world. Ironically, four of these are sanctioned Russian aviation companies that essentially remain paralyzed, unable to build passenger jets by the 2022 international sanctions . However, they all have operational passenger jets in service and have active programs to put commercial jet passenger aircraft back into production (if the Russian companies are excluded, then only four companies are producing commercial passenger jets). Aircraft manufacturers that specialize in business jets like Dassault, Cessna, Pilatus, and Bombardier are not counted (neither is ATR, as it only produces turboprop passenger aircraft).

According to data by ch-aviation, these are the world's aircraft manufacturers by number of airliners in service. Note that the numbers of aircraft in service listed below include cargo variants of commercial passenger jets and passenger jets in service with air forces and governments (often as VIP transports). Many of the Russian jets counted below are in government service (as Russia's commercial airlines haven't wanted to operate legacy Soviet-era passenger jets). This list also doesn't include plane makers that used to produce passenger jets that are still flying (like BAE Systems Regional Aircraft).

8 Yakovlev

17 Yakovlev aircraft in service

Yakovlev is a Russian aircraft maker and has the least number of aircraft in service on this list (only 17). Those 17 aircraft are all the three-engined mid-range Yak-42 passenger jets. These are most in service with Kosmos Airlines, the charter airline KrasAvia, and with the Russian and Kazakhstani governments.

Yakovlev's flagship was meant to be the Yakovlev MC-21 (a Boeing 737 MAX challenger). Yakovlev built flying prototypes for the MC-21 just before the 2022 sanctions, and the aircraft was poised to go into production. However, Russia now needs to substitute 60–70% of the components due to sanctions, and no MC-21s have been delivered as of January 2025.

7 Ilyushin

35 Ilyushin aircraft in service

Ilyushin is one of the large aircraft manufacturers of Russia and is one of the great legacy Soviet aviation companies. Ilyushin is a shadow of its former self, and since the collapse of the USSR, all Russian airlines turned to acquiring superior Western passenger jets. Only a few Ilyushin aircraft have been built over the last 3 decades (mostly for the Russian government). Its flying products include the Il-114 turboprop passenger jet, the Il-62 narrow-body jet, the Il-86 medium-range passenger jet, and the Il-96 widebody quad-engined jet.

The most remarkable of these aircraft is the quad-engined Ilyushin Il-96. Only one example remains in active passenger service (with Cuba's Cubana de Aviación), while Sky Gates Airlines also operates a cargo example. Unable to buy Airbus and Boeing widebodies, Russia is working to put this massive but obsolete aircraft back into commercial production.

6 Tupolev

36 Tupolev aircraft in service

Tupolev is perhaps best known for building the supersonic Soviet Tu-144 'Concordski' (which turned out to be a lemon). Today, the Tu-204 (and its Tu-214 variant), is the only commercial Tupolev jet in commercial service (notably with Air Koryo, North Korea's flag carrier). Tu-2014s are also operated by Russia's Red Wings and Rossiya for the Russian government.

While there is an updated variant of the Tu-204/214, Russia is planning to put an obsolete variant back into production as it tries to restart domestic airliner production amid sanctions. However, it is anyone's guess if Tupolev will be able to put its Tu-214 into production. Around 13% of the parts need to be substituted with Russian parts and Russia has also just reduced the number of engines it plans to produce. Aeroflot has also stated it doesn't want them (it also doesn't want Sukhoi's Superjets).

5 Sukhoi

133 Sukhoi aircraft in service

Sukhoi is perhaps better known for its fighter jets (like the Su-27 Flanker family and the Su-57 Felon), but it is also the Russian planemaker with the most commercial jets in service. The only passenger jet that Sukhoi makes (or made) is the Superjet 100 regional jet. The Superjet had its first commercial flight in 2011, and around 230 aircraft were built. According to ch-aviation, only 133 are operational, potentially underscoring the impact of sanctions on maintaining the jet.

The 2022 sanctions shuttered the Superjet's production (although Sukhoi was able to deliver seven jets made with pre-sanctioned stockpiled components). Sukhoi is currently working to place the Superjet back into production; however, it has the daunting task of substituting an estimated 80-90% of components with domestic Russian-made components.

4 COMAC

161 COMAC aircraft in service

China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) is the first company on this list actively (as of January 2025) building passenger jets (as Russia is still struggling to overcome sanctions). COMAC has big plans for the future and is currently producing two types of passenger jets: the regional C909 (formerly ARJ21) passenger jet and the larger COMAC C919 narrowbody passenger jet.

The COMAC C919 is China's flag passenger jet and is being purchased by a number of Chinese airlines (although it hasn't received airworthy certificates from Europe's EASA or the United States' FAA). As with Russia's MC-21, the engines and bulk of the flight control systems and avionics of the C919 are imported from Western countries. COMAC has been the target of US sanctions, and time will tell if the US will put the rug out from under the jet.

3 Embraer

1,857 Embraer aircraft in service

Brazil's Embraer is famous for being the third (although distant third) aircraft manufacturer and is one of only three commercial passenger jet makers to sell its jets all around the world. Its E-Jet/E-Jet E2 family has proven popular for airlines seeking a narrowbody, short-range passenger jet.

Embraer managed to deliver a total of 73 new commercial aircraft in 2024 (and a total of 206 aircraft overall, including military aircraft). The largest passenger jet currently offered by Embraer is the 195-E2, which has a capacity of 120 to 146 passengers (depending on configuration). Embraer states, "The largest aircraft in the E-Jet E2 family, the E195-E2 has been designed to maximize returns and efficiency on high-density routes."

2 Airbus

11,104 Airbus aircraft in service

Airbus is the world's largest planemaker with the second most aircraft in service (over 11,000 according to ch-aviation). In 2024, Airbus delivered far more passenger jets than its arch-rival Boeing, delivering 766 aircraft to 86 customers worldwide. Airbus gives a much higher estimate for the number of its aircraft in service than ch-aviation, as it claims to have 14,126 aircraft in operation. By Airbus' count, it has more commercial jets in service than Boeing.

For this report, we sourced ch-aviation data only for active aircraft; adding currently inactive aircraft brings the Airbus total to 13,875.

Airbus is famous for many things, including for producing the world's largest commercial passenger jet (the A380). However, production of the type ended in 2021. Today, Airbus produces the aircraft boasting the greatest range—the Airbus A350-900XLR and the world's most popular passenger jet (the A320 family). The A320 is the most popular, measured by current production and current orders (more of Boeing's older 737 family have been delivered).

1 Boeing

11,592 Boeing aircraft in service

For many years, 👁 Image
Boeing was the world's largest plane maker and is responsible for classics like the Boeing 314 Clipper, Boeing 747, and Boeing 757. By some measures, it still has the most passenger jets in service (although this may change in a few years). According to ch-aviation, Boeing has 11,592 aircraft in service, while Boeing just says it has "more than 10,000 Boeing-built commercial jetliners in service."

Compared with its European rival, 2024 was a poor year for Boeing (troublesome for many reasons). It managed to deliver a total of 348 passenger jets (around half of what Airbus delivered). Deliveries included 265 Boeing 737 family jets, 18 medium-wide-body Boeing 767s, 51 of the popular Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and 14 Boeing 777s (Boeing's largest aircraft in production). Perhaps this year, Boeing will turn the situation around.