Boeing Jet Deliveries Decline in March on 737 MAX Issue
Boeing announced on Tuesday that it delivered 46 aircraft in March, down from 51 in February. The decline was largely due to repair work on damaged wiring found in around 25 of its best-selling 737 MAX jets.
Wiring Repairs Delay Some Deliveries
The company did not specify how many deliveries were directly impacted by the wiring issue. However, Boeing’s Chief Financial Officer, Jay Malave, previously indicated that around 10 deliveries of the 737 MAX would likely be pushed into the second quarter. Despite this delay, Boeing expects no impact on its full-year delivery targets.
Boeing Trails Airbus in Monthly Deliveries
Boeing’s March deliveries fell short of European rival Airbus, which delivered 60 aircraft during the same month. The U.S. manufacturer has consistently lagged Airbus in annual deliveries since 2018.
Aircraft deliveries are a key metric for investors, as manufacturers typically receive the majority of payment once jets are handed over to customers.
Strong First-Quarter Performance for Boeing
Despite the March slowdown, Boeing delivered a total of 143 aircraft in the first quarter of the year, outperforming Airbus, which delivered 114 jets. Airbus continues to face production challenges due to ongoing engine shortages.
For comparison, Boeing delivered 41 aircraft in March of the previous year.
Breakdown of March Deliveries
In March, Boeing delivered a wide mix of aircraft, including:
- 33 Boeing 737 MAX jets
- 1 Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) for U.S. Navy P-8 conversion
- 7 Boeing 787 Dreamliners
- 3 Boeing 777 freighters
- 1 Boeing 767 freighter
- 1 Boeing 767 for KC-46 aerial refueling tanker conversion
New Orders and Cancellations
Boeing recorded 33 new orders in March, with two cancellations, resulting in 31 net new orders. These included:
- 25 new 737 orders (20 MAX and 5 NG), all from undisclosed customers
- 8 new 787 orders from unidentified buyers
At the same time, Air Europa and Enter Air each canceled one order for the 737 MAX.
Order Backlog Remains Strong
After accounting for cancellations and conversions, Boeing secured 149 net new orders during the first quarter.
By the end of March, the company’s total order backlog stood at 6,127 aircraft, including:
- 4,368 Boeing 737 jets
- 94 Boeing 767 aircraft
- 606 Boeing 777 jets
- 1,059 Boeing 787 Dreamliners
