Boeing has started the New Year in a more competitive position with the delivery of new planes, a hard fought and won military contract, the introduction of a new plane and the 777 selling as never before.

In a big year for aerospace, the plane maker has finally begun delivery of the first few 787 Dreamliners however still face setbacks in meeting delivery deadlines for the remaining orders.  

Earlier in 2011, Boeing won a hard fought military contract worth $35 billion, with the Air Force tanker now in the works.

Although Boeing struggled in the narrow body-jet market, the plane maker has officially squared off with Airbus’s A320neo, with a new 737 MAX.

"The MAX has really taken off, the neo is in our sights and we're looking to come up to market parity,” vice president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes Randy Tinseth said.

The popular larger Boeing 777 has no competition in the wide body passenger-jet market, with 200 net orders for 2011 worth an estimated $32.4 billion after standard discounts, according to aircraft-consulting firm Avitas.

Boeing is set to increase production rates despite the uncertainty with the world’s economy and continued problems with the production the 787 Dreamliner.