SEATTLE- Boeing deliveries of its popular 737 MAX aircraft have reached their lowest point since August 2021, as the company continues to grapple with addressing a manufacturing defect.
The prominent U.S. aerospace manufacturer disclosed on Tuesday that its total deliveries for September amounted to 27 aircraft, comprising 15 Boeing MAX 8 and 9 airplanes. This marks the fourth-lowest month for MAX deliveries since they resumed in December 2020, following a global grounding triggered by two MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that resulted in the tragic loss of 346 lives.
Boeing New Orders and Deliveries
Boeing is currently engaged in an extensive process to inspect and rectify numerous misdrilled holes on the 737 MAX 8 aft pressure bulkhead.
In September, the company secured new orders for 224 planes while also reporting 10 cancellations. Among the new orders were 50 units of the 787 model for United Airlines (UA).
Investors closely monitor delivery figures since airplane manufacturers typically receive the bulk of payment for an aircraft upon its transfer to customers.
In the first nine months of 2023, Boeing delivered 371 aircraft to its customers, with 286 of them being 737s. In comparison, European competitor Airbus has handed over 488 aircraft in the first eight months of the year, including 55 in September.
Awaiting Certification
Boeing’s gross orders since January have risen to 848 as of September, with 724 net orders after accounting for cancellations and conversions. Airbus, on the other hand, has recorded 1,280 gross orders or 1,241 net orders after cancellations.
Boeing’s commercial backlog has grown from 4,971 to 5,172. Notably, September marked the first month since December 2019 that Boeing’s official backlog surpassed the 5,000 mark.
In a separate development, Boeing is still awaiting certification for its smaller 737 MAX 7 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a process that has been under review for over a year. In July, Boeing announced that the first delivery of the 737 MAX 7 had been postponed to 2024.
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