As the aerospace behemoth grappled with a crisis following a midair door panel burst a year ago and a fall worker strike that halted production, Boeing delivered 348 aircraft in 2024, roughly a third fewer than it did the year before.
Although both firms are dealing with supply chain difficulties that have hampered production and fulfillment of their otherwise solid backlogs, the total increased the delivery gap with Boeing’s main rival, Airbus, which delivered 766 jetliners to clients last year, the highest since 2019.
Following the end of the almost eight-week machinist strike the previous month, Boeing resumed manufacturing of its best-selling 737 Max aircraft in December, delivering 30 aircraft. Since customers pay the majority of an airplane’s price during deliveries, deliveries are crucial for manufacturers.
According to a survey released this month by aviation data provider IBA, a shortage of aircraft from suppliers has caused leasing rates to rise, with leases predicted to reach all-time highs this year.
Boeing recorded 142 gross orders for new aircraft in December, including 30 787s for flydubai, whose desire to buy was initially announced at the Dubai Air Show in late 2023, and 100 737 Maxes for Pegasus Airlines of Turkey. Additionally, Boeing removed over 130 orders for India’s now-defunct Jet Airways from its records.
Including accounting changes, Boeing’s net orders for the year were 317 aircraft, compared to 569 gross orders. Airbus reported 878 gross orders and 826 net orders for the previous year in its December and full-year totals, which were made public last week.
Before the market opens on January 28, Boeing is expected to release its fourth-quarter and full-year results. CEO Kelly Ortberg and other Boeing executives will then answer questions from investors regarding their strategies for increasing production and turning the aerospace behemoth back to profitability.
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