Boeing continues to report poor numbers in deliveries and orders for its commercial aircraft. This week, the planemaker released May data, the worst in 60 years. Only four units were delivered last month, none of them passenger aircraft. China Southern Airlines received two 777F freighters, UPS a 767-300F and the US Navy a P-8 Poseidon, 737-800 maritime patrol variant.
Compared to May 2019, there was an 87% drop in the number of deliveries. The performance is impressive because the 737 Max was already grounded at that time.
On the other hand, Boeing continues to have cancellations in its backlog. In May, there were 18 fewer aircraft, including 14 737 Max, mostly from lessors such as Aviation Capital Group, CTI Aviation and GECAS. In addition, the company withdrew 80 orders from the 737 that were considered non-solid.
The airframe, however, won five new orders for the 767-300F, one for Fedex and directed three manufactured jets to the Russian company Volga-Dnepr to other customers. Two Boeing 777Fs were sold to an undisclosed company and a 747-8F will be shipped to UPS.
The largest manufacturer’s backlog is 4,744 units (3,776 737, 13 747, 91 767, 355 777 and 509 787).
More problems with the 737
As if the bad balance was not enough, Boeing still had to face the negative reactions to the revelation that its supplier, Spirit Aerosystems, had to delay the assembly of the fuselages of the 737 Max after request of the planemaker. The company was due to send 125 fuselages to Renton, but it will reduce the number of finished shipsets, although Boeing plans to have the jet back into operation in the third quarter.
