Boeing experienced a robust month of sales in September, securing 214 net new commercial airplane orders, including substantial orders for the 787 widebody jet from United and Air Canada, as well as a significant order from Ryanair for the 737 MAX. In contrast, Airbus announced only 23 net new jet orders for that month. However, despite the strong sales, production was impacted by the latest quality issues with the 737 MAX, resulting in Boeing delivering just 27 jets, considerably fewer than the 55 delivered by Airbus.
Air traffic has rebounded to 97% of pre-pandemic levels globally, with domestic air travel exceeding 2019 levels by 9%. While air travel has surged, airplane production by both Airbus and Boeing has not fully recovered, leading to high demand for available jets. Airlines are placing substantial orders to secure aircraft in the competitive market.
United, for example, recently added 50 more Boeing 787 Dreamliners to its previous order of 100. Air Canada ordered 18 of the largest Dreamliner model, while Ryanair finalized its order for 150 of the 737 MAX 10, although these will be delivered after FAA certification next year.
Despite setbacks, Boeing and Airbus have maintained their market positions. Boeing has delivered 371 jets through September this year, a 35% reduction from 2018, while Airbus, facing its own supply chain challenges, has delivered 488 jets, down 4% from 2018.
Quality issues have also contributed to Boeing’s production challenges, with the latest problem being a defect in the aft pressure bulkhead of the 737 MAX. This defect, affecting three-quarters of the jets in inventory, has led to lower delivery numbers, with only 15 MAXs delivered in September, the lowest monthly total in two years.
Airbus, in contrast, maintained its guidance to deliver 720 jets in 2021, while Boeing has not announced an overall jet delivery goal but aims to deliver just over 400 narrowbody 737s, mostly MAXs, along with a few military derivatives.
In summary, while Boeing is witnessing strong demand, it faces production issues and a slow recovery compared to pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the ongoing challenges in the aviation industry.
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