It is currently 12:20 AM on Saturday, Aug 22, 2026. I have no better way to spend my time and I certainly do not want to spend the next few hours doomscrolling on X so I am going to take this opportunity to map out, in as much detail as possible, the aviation supply chain. I am going to heavily rely on using AI as a filtering mechanism because I can now **absolutely inhale** docs with thousands of pages filled with useful information and arrive at interesting findings sooner. I keep a running note on [[How to research deeply with AI|how to research deeply with AI]], which I think you might find helpful if you're into this sort of stuff. What do I hope to get out of this? I get to train my research muscle and develop a more thorough understanding of a space that I (momentarily) only watch from the sidelines. ## Airbus and Boeing I am going to begin by tackling entities involved in servicing the iconic duopoly. It is helpful to begin by just laying down the things I know. Off the top of my head, I know that an aircraft needs the following: - Engines - Avionics - Physical structures - Maintenance apparatus - Software I could probably get more granular but I think this is a good starting point. ## 737 Max vs. A320neo I start off with these products because they represent the latest editions of most popular aircraft families manufactured by each company. As of 2026, a total of 17,497 Boeing 737 aircraft have been ordered worldwide while the Airbus A320neo family has accumulated more than 12,270 total orders globally. They are both single-aisle aircraft designed for high frequency short and medium haul routes. Airlines use them as fleet workhorses for domestic and regional flights, typically carrying 150-200 passengers. They are positioned for low-cost carriers, network airlines and airlines seeking low operating costs and quick turnaround times. ### Engines The A320neo and 737 Max are both powered by engines created by CFM International. CFM is a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran. It is an extremely interesting company on its own and I think it deserves its own deep dive. A crucial detail here is that the 737 Max uses the LEAP-1B engine whereas the A320neo uses the LEAP-1A. | ![[cfm-leap-1b-boeing-737-max.png\|244]] | ![[cfm-leap-1a-airbus-a320neo.png\|341]] | | :---------------------------------------: | :---------------------------------------: | | *CFM LEAP-1B* | *CFM LEAP-1A * | I uncovered another interesting fact: The A320neo can also be powered by a Pratt and Whitney GTF PW1100G-JM. Here's what that one looks like: ![[pratt-whitney-pw1100g-jm-airbus-a320neo.png|568]] This already points to another structural question we could tackle. **Why does Boeing offer only one engine family while Airbus offers two?** Historically, Boeing has never offered competing engines simultaneously for the 737. The early versions used Pratt and Whitney JT8Ds and the subsequent Classic, NG and MAX generations used sole-source CFM engines. For the A320 family, Airbus has always adopted a dual supplier strategy and has carried that strategy into the neo program.