Boeing delivers most jets in 18 months with boost from China
The US planemaker handed over 42 of its 737 Max models last month, the most since a near-catastrophe plunged it into crisis in early 2024. Eight of Boeing's deliveries went to China after US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping backed away from a showdown over tariffs.
In all, Boeing delivered 150 aircraft in the second quarter, and 280 commercial planes during the first six months of the year, according to a statement. The manufacturer said it recorded 668 gross jet orders during the first half against 43 cancellations and conversions.
The June surge put Boeing neck-and-neck with arch-rival Airbus, which delivered 63 aircraft in the month. The European planemaker recorded 203 gross orders in June, which included some of the commitments it won at the Paris Air Show.
Boeing has lagged its competitor in the global duopoly in both sales and deliveries as it was buffeted by a series of crises this decade. But the momentum has shifted in recent months, with Airbus struggling to hit its production targets as it grapples with engine shortages and other supplier strains.
The US manufacturer has begun to make progress in returning its factories to a steadier tempo. It's also cushioned by a surplus of inventory as a consequence of a strike in late 2024 and its decision earlier in the year to slow production to address quality shortfalls after a door-shaped panel blew out of an airborne 737 Max.
However, Boeing is again in the spotlight after a 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India crashed seconds after take-off last month, days before the Paris Air Show. Boeing cancelled public appearances by chief executive officer Kelly Ortberg as well as order announcements at the show out of deference to the crash victims.
Boeing's June sales totals provided clues as to what might have been. The planemaker recorded 116 gross orders for the month, including 42 sales to an unidentified buyer or buyers for its 737 Max, and 30 orders for its 787 Dreamliner widebody to an unknown customer. BLOOMBERG
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