Boeing booked 1,203 commercial airplane orders and delivered 601 airplanes in 2012, an especially strong year that should put it ahead of rival Airbus for the first time in a decade.
For nine years running, Airbus had booked more orders. In 2012, its target delivery was 580 planes, leaving it short of Boeing's mark.
Official Airbus figures will be announced on January 17, but they are unlikely to upset expectations, according to Reuters.
For Boeing, the 1,203 orders are the second most in its history. The 601 deliveries are the best since 1999, and the 4,373 orders it has booked but not yet filled are the most ever, according to Arabian Business.
Boeing's new success is in large part thanks to the popularity of its new 737 MAX, which accounted for 860 of its orders. The jet is 13 percent more efficient than any other single-aisle airplane, a major selling point in an industry where high fuel costs keep profit margins slim.
Boeing has also streamlined its 777 production process, allowing for faster deliveries and lowered costs.
In 2013, it plans to produce nearly 660 jets, dwarfing the 601 mark it just set, according to Reuters.
