Boeing delivered 30 airplanes in December, but gap with Airbus widened in 2024

Boeing handed over 348 airplanes in 2024, about a third fewer than it did a year earlier as the aerospace giant struggled with a crisis after a midair door panel blowout a year ago and a machinist strike in the fall that halted production.

The tally widened the delivery gap with Boeing’s chief rival, Airbus, which gave 766 jetliners to customers last year, the most since 2019, though both companies are facing supply chain strains that have slowed production and fulfillment of their otherwise robust backlogs.

In December, Boeing delivered 30 airplanes as it restarted production of its bestselling 737 Max planes after the nearly eight-week machinist strike ended the month before. Deliveries are key for manufacturers because it is when customers pay the bulk of an airplane’s price.

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A shortage of aircraft from suppliers has driven up lease rates, with rentals expected to hit records this year, aviation data firm IBA said in a report this month.

Boeing logged 142 gross orders in December for new planes, including 100 737 Maxes for Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines and 30 787s for flydubai, whose intention to purchase was first unveiled at the Dubai Air Show in late 2023. Boeing also took more than 130 orders off its books for India’s now-defunct carrier Jet Airways.

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Boeing’s gross orders for the year stood at 569, while net orders were 377 airplanes — 317 including accounting adjustments. Airbus, which released its December and full-year tally last week, said it logged 878 gross orders last year and 826 net orders.

Boeing is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and full-year results before the market opens on Jan. 28, when CEO Kelly Ortberg and other Boeing leaders will face investor questions about their plans to ramp up production and restore the aerospace giant’s profitability.