Boeing vs Airbus: How to Tell the Difference (Nose, Windows, Wings, Engines)

Boeing and Airbus build almost every big airliner you will fly on, and their rival models are often the same size. So how do you tell which one is outside the terminal window? A few details give it away every time: the nose, the cockpit windows, the wingtips, the engines and, at night, the strobe lights.

Quick answer: a Boeing usually has a more pointed nose and V-shaped side cockpit windows; an Airbus has a rounder nose and side windows with a straight bottom edge. At night, Airbus wing strobes flash twice and Boeing strobes flash once. For specific pairs, check the wingtips and engine edges (below).

General tips come from the AirlinerSpotter spotting guide; aircraft details come from our own reviews, linked in each section. These are rules of thumb: newer types such as the 787 and A350 break some of them.

Boeing vs Airbus at a Glance

Sources: AirlinerSpotter; FlyingFuel reviews of each type.

Size Will Not Tell You

Each Airbus has a Boeing rival of almost the same size. The A320neo and 737 MAX 8 have wingspans within 10 cm of each other, and the A350-1000 and 777-300ER are just 5 cm apart. That is why spotters look at shapes and details, not size.

The Nose and Cockpit Windows

This is the fastest check on most types. According to AirlinerSpotter, Boeing noses are more pointed, and the side cockpit windows on the 737, 757, 767 and 777 are angled in a V shape. Airbus noses are rounder, and the side windshield runs straight across the bottom; older Airbus types from the A300 to the A340 also have a notched rear cockpit window.

Strobe Lights at Night

After dark, watch the white strobe lights on the wingtips. On an Airbus they flash twice in quick succession; on a Boeing they flash once. It is one of the easiest checks from the ground or the terminal.

Airbus A320neo vs Boeing 737 MAX

• Wingtips: the A320neo has a single tall, upswept Sharklet; the 737 MAX has a split-tip winglet, one blade up and a smaller one down.
• Engine edge: the back of the 737 MAX engine casing is serrated (chevrons); the A320neo’s is smooth.
• Nose and windows: the 737 has the pointed Boeing nose and V-shaped side windows; the A320 is rounder.

More detail: A320neo vs 737 MAX 8 compared, Boeing 737 MAX 8 review and Airbus A320neo review.

Airbus A321 vs Boeing 757

Both are long single-aisle jets. Look under the wing: AirlinerSpotter notes that the 757 has two four-wheel main landing gear assemblies, while the A321 has two two-wheel assemblies.

Airbus A330 vs Boeing 767 and 787

• A330 vs 767: the 767’s main landing gear leans forward; the A330’s leans to the rear. The 767 also has V-shaped Boeing side windows.
• A330neo vs 787: the A330neo has tall, curved Sharklets like the A350; the 787 has long wings that sweep back into a smooth raked tip with no winglet.
• 787 cockpit and engines: the 787 has a distinctive four-window cockpit and serrated chevrons on its engine casings; the A330neo’s Trent 7000s have a smooth rear edge.

More detail: A330neo vs 787-9 compared and Boeing 787-9 review.

Airbus A350 vs Boeing 777 and 787

• The “raccoon mask”: most A350s have a dark painted band around the cockpit windows. The 777 and 787 have no mask.
• Wingtips: the A350’s wingtips curve smoothly upward. The 777-300ER has long, swept-back raked wingtips with no upward curve.
• Tail cone: the 777 ends in a flat, vertical blade instead of a round point.

More detail: 777-300ER vs A350-1000 compared, 787-9 vs A350-900 compared and Airbus A350-900 review.

Airbus A380 vs Boeing 747

The double-deckers are the easiest pair. The A380 has two full-length passenger decks, so two rows of windows run the whole length of the fuselage. The 747 has a main deck along the whole aircraft and a shorter upper deck at the front, which gives it its famous hump. Both have four engines; the 747-8’s GEnx engines have chevron edges.

More detail: Boeing 747 vs Airbus A380 compared.

Boeing 777 and 777-9: Giant Engines and a Blade Tail

The 777 has some tells of its own. Its GE90-115B engines are enormous: the fan is 128 inches across, roughly half the 244-inch width of the fuselage. Each main landing gear leg has six wheels, and the very back of the fuselage ends in a flat, vertical blade instead of a round point. The 777-300ER has extended, swept-back raked wingtips with no winglet. Its successor, the 777-9, has wingtips that fold up on the ground: 71.8 m in flight, 64.8 m folded. See our Boeing 777-300ER review and Boeing 777-9 review.

Doors and Exits: A321neo and 737 MAX

Door layouts help on the longer single-aisle jets. Most A321neos built since 2020 have Airbus’s Cabin Flex layout, with two small overwing exits on each side instead of a full-size door ahead of the wing; the A321neo’s long, thin shape with Sharklets is the other giveaway. The 737 MAX 8 has two overwing exits on each side, and the high-density 737-8-200 adds an extra pair of exit doors behind the wing. See our A321neo review.

Common Mix-Ups

• 737 MAX vs older 737-800: both are Boeings, so check the engine edge. The MAX has serrated chevrons; the 737-800’s engine casing is smooth. The MAX also has the split-tip winglet.
• A350 vs 787: neither has a classic winglet. The A350’s wingtip curves smoothly upward; the 787’s wing sweeps back into a flat raked tip. The A350 has the dark window mask; the 787 has four cockpit windows.
• A330neo vs A350: both have Sharklet-style curved wingtips, but only the A350 has the dark mask around the cockpit windows.
• 747 freighter: the 747-8F can load cargo through its nose door, a feature of the 747 freighters.

A Quick Spotting Checklist

• 1. Count the decks. Two full decks: A380. A hump at the front: 747.
• 2. Look at the nose and cockpit windows. Pointed with V-shaped side windows: Boeing. Round with a straight bottom edge: Airbus. Dark mask: A350. Four windows: 787.
• 3. Check the wingtips. Tall, curved Sharklet-style tip: A320neo family, A330neo or A350. Split-tip winglet: 737 MAX. Long raked tip, no winglet: 787 or 777.
• 4. Check the engine edge. Serrated chevrons: 737 MAX, 787 or 747-8. Smooth: A320neo, A330neo and the older 737-800.
• 5. At night, count the strobe flashes. Two: Airbus. One: Boeing.

Inside: Yoke or Sidestick?

If you ever see the flight deck, the controls settle it. Every Airbus from the A320 onwards is flown with a small sidestick beside each pilot and fly-by-wire controls. Boeing kept a control yoke in front of each pilot, even on its fly-by-wire 777 and 787. Names help too: Boeing uses 7×7 numbers, Airbus uses A3xx, and the A220 is a renamed Bombardier design (see how Airbus and Boeing name their aircraft).

Key Takeaways

• Pointed nose and V-shaped side windows: probably a Boeing. Rounder nose and straight-bottomed windows: probably an Airbus.
• At night, two quick strobe flashes mean Airbus; one flash means Boeing.
• A320neo vs 737 MAX: Sharklet vs split-tip winglet, smooth vs serrated engine edge.
• A350: the dark “raccoon mask” around the cockpit windows. 787: four-window cockpit and raked wingtips.
• A380: two full-length decks. 747: the hump.

Frequently Asked Questions

Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-8 departing Boston by 4300streetcar, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.