Boeing Sets New 806 Aircraft Delivery Record

Boeing delivered a record 806 commercial aircraft in 2018, beating its previous year total of 763, its previous all-time high.

With Airbus announcing an 800-plane delivery total for the year, Boeing has retained top spot in deliveries for the seventh straight year.

Boeing ramped up deliveries in the fourth quarter, with 238 commercial aircraft delivered after supply chain problems had limited the completion of some aircraft earlier in the year.

“In a dynamic year, our production discipline and our supplier partners helped us build and deliver more airplanes than ever before to satisfy the strong demand for air travel across the globe,” Boeing Commercial’s chief executive Kevin McAllister said.

The 737 family was the top performer again in 2018, with 580 handed over to customers during the year, almost half of which were the updated MAX family. Boeing delivered 69 737s in December alone. The 737 made up 72 percent of the annual total.

The 787 performed strongly with 145 delivered from its two assembly plants, but the 777 continued its drop in delivery numbers as Boeing prepares for the introduction of the new 777X next year.

The first flight test 777X airframe had its GE9X engines fitted recently in preparation for first flight later this year. Certification is expected in 2020.

The 747 had only one delivery in the fourth quarter, out of a total of six for the year, as the updated jumbo continues to have difficulty attracting buyers. The 767 had a more positive delivery total of 27, ten of which are destined for conversion to KC-46 tankers for the US Air Force.

2018 was also a good year for orders, with the Chicago-based airframer taking 893 net orders with a list price value of USD$143.7 billion.

Notable milestones reached during 2018 were the 2,000 total orders for the 777 received since launch, and the 737 MAX family hitting the 5,000 order mark.