Key facts
- Boeing delivered 57 jets in September, its highest monthly total this year.
- The September deliveries included 43 737 MAX jets, eight 787s, two 777 freighters, and four 767s.
- Boeing secured 165 new orders in September, including 100 737 MAX jets for Turkish Airlines.
- Through September, Boeing delivered 475 jets, an 8% increase year-on-year.
- Boeing's backlog increased to 6,371 jets by the end of September.
Boeing reported delivering 57 jets in September, the highest monthly total for the planemaker this year, surpassing August's 51 deliveries. This figure includes 43 737 MAX narrow-body aircraft, eight 787 Dreamliners, two 777 freighters, and four 767s, three of which were for Boeing's defense unit as KC-46 aerial refueling tankers.
The strong delivery numbers were complemented by a significant increase in new orders, totaling 165 for the month. A substantial portion of these orders came from Turkish Airlines, which placed an order for 100 737 MAX jets. Other notable orders included 20 737 MAX jets for Lufthansa, six 737 MAX and five 787 jets for Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and eight 777-8 freighters and two 777 freighters for Ethiopian Airlines. Unidentified customers also placed orders for six 737 MAX and 18 787 jets.
Despite the robust performance, Boeing still trailed its European rival Airbus, which delivered 72 jets in September. However, Boeing significantly outsold Airbus, which booked only 17 new orders. Boeing's year-to-date deliveries through September reached 475 jets, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year, with 363 of those being 737 MAX aircraft, marking a record for the program in the first nine months of a year.
The increased output comes as Boeing works to ramp up its 737 MAX production to 47 jets per month, a target that has proven more challenging than initially expected, according to Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. The company's official backlog of undelivered aircraft stood at 6,371 jets at the end of September, up from 6,156 at the end of August.