Boeing has recorded a year-on-year nine plane increase in monthly deliveries with 29 delivered in March 2021 compared to 20 in 2020, while also maintaining a positive net order book for the second month running.
February saw the first positive net orders for 14 months as confidence slowly returns to the company’s customers. Orders for 196 of the 737 family of jets made up March’s total orders which, net of cancelations and conversions, resulted in 40 new orders for 737 jets. Boeing confirmed its March gross orders included a previously announced order for 100 737 MAXs by Southwest Airlines and 24 737 MAXs for private investment firm 777 Partners, plus 11 orders for P8 military aircraft. Turkish Airlines canceled ten 737 MAX airplanes on order in March and converted 40 737 MAX orders to options. China’s CDB Financial shelved 16 737 MAX orders in March and China Aircraft Leasing canceled 26 737 MAX orders. Alaska Air and United Airlines re-contracted nine and 25 737 MAX orders, respectively, last month for earlier delivery positions. Nineteen 737 MAX orders were canceled by undisclosed customers in March.
Boeing’s gross orders for the first quarter were 282 airplanes. Net of cancellations and conversions, orders stood at 69 aircraft in the quarter. Adjusted for stricter accounting standards, Boeing’s net orders were 76 aircraft in the first quarter at March end. Boeing’s official backlog rose to 4054 aircraft orders in March from 4041 orders in February. The company delivered a total of 77 airplanes in the first quarter, up from 50 aircraft for the first quarter in 2020. 787 jet deliveries resumed in late March after a four-month halt while production defects were sorted out.
