Boeing continues to lose orders and close new deals amid problems with the 737 Max recertification and the effects of the coronavirus crisis. The manufacturer released the data for March and the first quarter, which reveal a bleak picture: only 50 planes were delivered and 49 new orders.
The balance, however, is quite negative. Net orders reached 307 fewer aircraft due to cancellations and contractual changes, especially the 737 Max, which reduced the aircraft’s backlog by 314 orders. In March, there were 150 cancellations, including 75 from lessor Avolon and 34 from Brazilian airline Gol, which had a total order of 135 units.
The two aircraft that had their orders grow were the 767 (two cargo planes for Fedex) and the 787, thanks to the order of All Nippon Airways, announced earlier this year, four units for Oman Air and ten planes for undisclosed customers . After the cancellation of another four 787, the final balance was 25 Dreamliner jets. The 777 lost 15 orders, one of them converted to another aircraft, while the 747 dropped four units.
In March, Boeing had 31 new orders in all, including ANA planes and one of Fedex’s 767s. The South Korean government also struck a deal to acquire six 737-800s, in addition to 12 P-8 Poseidon for the US Navy and New Zealand.
Deliveries
Planemaker also confirmed that it delivered 50 commercial planes in the first quarter, 20 of them in March. The 787 accounted for 29 of these aircraft, 11 delivered in March, while the 767 had 10 units delivered, including cargo variants and aerial refueling aircraft for the USAF (KC-46A).
The 777 has accumulated six deliveries, four of the 777F and two 777-300ER while the 737NG had two planes delivered to China Eastern Airlines, in addition to three P-8 Poseidon.
For comparison, Boeing delivered a total of 149 aircraft in the first quarter of 2019 and received 92 orders in the same period, already showing a sharp drop compared to previous years.
