Boeing Surges Ahead of Airbus in Q1 and March Deliveries

There’s some positive news for airlines as Boeing appears to have regained its strength, putting it in direct competition with Airbus once again.

During the initial three months of 2023, Boeing outpaced its European competitor by delivering 130 jetliners, compared to Airbus’s 127. Boeing’s March delivery numbers were particularly impressive, with the company delivering 64 commercial aircraft – its second-best delivery month in the last four years.

Boeing distributed 130 commercial airplanes in the first quarter, with the 737 MAX making up 111 aircraft, or 85% of the total deliveries, from its three facilities.

The following are the notable orders for each aircraft type:

• 737 MAX: Southwest Airlines ordered 111, United Airlines 21, Ryanair 14, Air Lease Corporation 12, and 777 Partners. And the Republic of Iraq with four each, and Alaska Airlines and WestJet with three each.
• 787: Lufthansa ordered three 787-9s, United Airlines with two 787-10s, and one each from American Airlines (787-8), and Japan Airlines (787-8). Also, Air France-KLM (787-10), Qatar Airways (787-9), Vistara (787-9), and AerCap (787-9).
• 777F: The four orders were placed by Air China Cargo, CES Leasing Corporation, China Postal Airlines, and China Southern Airlines.
• 747-8F: Atlas Air Worldwide ordered one.
• 767-300F: FedEx Express ordered one.
• 737-800A: Two orders were placed by the Government of Korea and BDS New Zealand.

March was when things really started to pick up

In March, Boeing delivered a total of 64 aircraft, surpassing Airbus’ delivery of 61. The deliveries comprised 52 737 MAXs, seven 787 Dreamliners, four freighters, and one 737-800A. This marked the best month for Boeing in four years, except for December 2022, when 69 planes were delivered. However, December’s high deliveries can be misleading as they are usually pushed through to meet end-of-year targets. The March deliveries showed positive signs for Boeing, with 52 MAX deliveries – one less than in December, but double the February output. The Republic of Iraq contributed to the output by purchasing three 737 MAXs in a single day.

The surge in March was attributed to an acceleration in the rework of grounded or stored 737 MAXs and 787 Dreamliners. However, completing this rework and keeping up with current deliveries remains a challenge for Boeing. This is due to Boeing’s current production rates of 31 per month for the 737 MAX and about three per month for the 787. The report suggests that almost half of the March deliveries came from parked aircraft. Additionally, airlines may have taken deliveries early in anticipation of the spring break and Easter holiday travel season.

One notable delivery in March was the 767-300F freighter to FedEx Express. This marked the first delivery this year after a fault was found in the interior painting of fuel tanks on some aircraft.

Strong month for orders

In March, Boeing recorded 60 new aircraft orders and 22 cancellations, resulting in a net gain of 38 orders for the month. However, these numbers do not include the recent large orders announced by Saudi Arabia for 78 widebodies. Air India for a mix of 220 planes. Additionally, Boeing confirmed 22 orders that had previously been in doubt.

March End, Boeing’s backlog stood at 5,356 planes, though this number is adjusted to 4,555 to meet US accounting standards. The unfilled orders included 4,219 737s, 120 767s, 436 777s, and 581 787s. However, there were some question marks over 634 orders for 737s, 108 for 777s, and 59 for 787s.

Also Read: Latest Indian Aviation News and Aviation News

Private & Non-scheduled Charter operators in India

APPROACH PLATES

Go through, the Mall of Aviation

For the best HELIPAD CONSULTANCY