Boeing’s commercial aircraft orders and deliveries bounced back in March as it once again began delivering 787s and 767s following a pause to address quality issues.
In total, the US airframer shipped 64 aircraft: 52 737 Max narrowbodies, a single 737NG-based P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol craft, and 11 widebodies.
United Airlines and Southwest Airlines took the most Max aircraft during the month, 12 each, followed by Air Lease Corporation with seven and Ryanair with five. Iraqi Airways also received its first three units of the re-engined narrowbody type during March.
In February, the company had delivered 28 aircraft, of which 25 were 737s.
Boeing also handed over seven 787 Dreamliners in March to a total of six customers: American Airlines, Japan Air Lines, Aercap (for lease to Aeromexico), Lufthansa, Vistara and United.
Deliveries of the widebody twin had earlier been paused amid fresh quality problems, disclosed in late February, which involved what Boeing called an “analysis error by our supplier related to the 787 forward-pressure bulkhead”.
In March it also delivered one 767-300F – the first since December 2022 – to US package-delivery giant FedEx, and three 777 freighters, one each to China Cargo Airlines, China Postal Airlines and China Southern Airlines.
So far in 2023, Boeing has delivered 130 aircraft: 113 737s, 11 787s, four 777s, one 767 and the final 747.
The company reported net new orders for 60 jets during March, including 40 Max jets – 21 for Japan Airlines, two for Luxair and 17 for unidentified customers – and 20 787 Dreamliners, seven of which are destined to go to Lufthansa, five to EVA and 8 to customers it did not name.
Boeing also recorded 22 cancellations during the month, including 16 737 Max – eight for Singapore Airlines and eight for undisclosed customers – and six 787s: two for Irish lessor AerCap and the remaining four for undisclosed customers.
By comparison, in February, the company landed orders for just five jets, all 737 Max, and had customers cancel orders for three 737 Max.
During the first three months of this year, Boeing has received 107 net orders.
