Summary
- Boeing faced a dry spell in May with only one airline ordering four Dreamliner aircraft.
- No Boeing 737 MAXs were ordered for the second month in a row.
- With the upcoming Farnborough Airshow, Boeing could make some announcements and add to its orderbook.
Boeing continues to face consequences for its production issues, and it is now also reflected in its orderbook. The plane maker did not receive any significant aircraft orders in May, and none for its MAX aircraft amid a slowdown of its production for the type. It also trails its European competitor, Airbus, which also revealed its May figures recently.
Only four planes ordered
Boeing has released its aircraft figures for the month of May, revealing that it failed to attract any airline except EVA Air for new orders. The Asian carrier was the only company to place an order with Boeing for four 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
The plane manufacturer also failed to attract a single order for its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in May for the second straight month, suggesting that airlines are trying to maintain a distance from the plane for the time being. Boeing’s figures for May follow a weak performance in April when it managed to secure seven aircraft orders, none of which were MAX planes.
It did manage to deliver 24 aircraft in May, identical to what it did in April, but about half of the 50 aircraft it pushed out of its factory in the same months in 2023.
However, with one of the biggest aviation shows, the Farnborough International Airshow, scheduled to take place in July, the US plane maker is hopeful of finalizing new deals. Airlines and manufacturers often announce new agreements during big airshows, and Boeing could make a few announcements of its own.
Photo: VanderWolf Images | Shutterstock
Trailing Airbus
European plane manufacturer Airbus had a better month in May in comparison, receiving 27 aircraft orders, of which seven were for A321neos for Nordic Aviation Capital and 20 for an undisclosed customer for A330-900 planes.
While it remains to be seen who placed the order for those 20 widebody jets, Airbus did reportedly discuss a potential sale of more than 100 A330s with a few Chinese Airlines in May, according to Aerotime.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Airbus also delivered 53 aircraft last month, including its 600th A350 plane, which went to Lufthansa. The company delivered more than twice as many planes as Boeing in May, and this is important as plane manufacturers make most of their money during deliveries.
Long road to recovery
When cancelations and conversions are adjusted, Boeing’s net order for this year until May is 103 airplanes. The last two months have been particularly weak, and it will likely take a long time before Boeing can be allowed to ramp up airplane deliveries by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Photo: Ian Dewar Photography | Shutterstock
According to Reuters, Boeing’s 737 MAX delivery output dropped to single digits in March against an FAA cap of 38. While it has picked up the production of the narrowbody jet somewhat since then, the FAA is in no mood to lift current restrictions until the plane maker shows significant improvements in its manufacturing practices.
With more than half of 2024 still remaining, hopefully, Boeing’s figures for the rest of the year will stabilize gradually.
![A Boeing 777x](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_2420198473.jpg)
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