Boeing is making impressive strides. In fact, Boeing reported delivering 60 passenger jets in June, bringing its first-half total to 266 airplanes. This represents a 23% uptick from the same period the previous year. Despite a series of production snags affecting deliveries during the first half of the year, Boeing shows promising signs of meeting its annual targets.
Targets and Deliveries
As part of its annual targets, Boeing is on track to deliver at least 400 narrowbody 737s and 70 widebody 787 Dreamliners in 2023. It has already delivered 216 737s and 31 Dreamliners during the first half of the year. The delivery of 48 best-selling 737 MAXs in June marks a significant increase from May when the company delivered 35 MAXs.
Boeing also handed over four 767s in June, including the first KC-46 military tanker, reworked after a fuel tank issue was identified in March. Additionally, the deliveries included six 787 Dreamliners, one 777 freighter, and a 737 designed to become a P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft for South Korea.
The June delivery totals of Boeing are the best since March when it delivered 64 jets to customers. However, Boeing experienced a slowdown in deliveries in the second quarter due to a 737 bracket installation error discovered in April.
The Competition and Boeing’s Future Plans
Despite Boeing’s improvements, Airbus stays ahead in deliveries. Airbus delivered 316 aircraft in the first half of the year, with plans to deliver 720 planes in 2023. However, Boeing’s future plans suggest they are gearing up for the competition.
According to Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal, the company plans to escalate MAX production from the current rate of 31 jets per month to 38 shortly. However, he cautions that every rate increase may bring potential supply chain instability.
Boeing’s Order Book
Boeing’s order book also paints a positive picture. After considering cancelations and conversions, Boeing received net orders for 288 planes last month. This figure includes a substantial order from Air India for 190 MAXs, 20 Dreamliners, and 10 mini-jumbo 777X jets.
Also, the new Saudi Arabian airline, Riyadh Air, confirmed a previous order for 39 Dreamliners. For the first half of 2023, when accounting for cancellations, Boeing has booked orders for 415 planes.
Even though Boeing’s performance has been impressive, it continues to be overshadowed by Airbus, which reported 1,044 net orders due to a massive 500 jet order from Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo.
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