Boeing recorded 165 gross aircraft orders in September, almost ten times Airbus’s 17, as a 100-aircraft 737 MAX commitment from Turkish Airlines drove a sharp monthly lead for the US manufacturer. Boeing’s orders included 132 737 MAX jets, 23 787 Dreamliners, two 777 freighters and eight 777-8 freighters, while Airbus delivered more aircraft during the month.
Other Boeing transactions included 20 737 MAX aircraft for Lufthansa, six 737 MAX jets and five 787s for Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and 10 777 freighters for Ethiopian Airlines. The manufacturer also listed six 737 MAX and 18 787 orders from unidentified customers.
Boeing’s reported net orders reached 272 after 107 aircraft were transferred from its reserve into the firm backlog. Its commercial backlog consequently rose to 6,371 aircraft at the end of September, from 6,156 a month earlier.
The order advantage did not reverse Airbus’s year-to-date lead. Airbus had accumulated 1,174 gross orders and 1,105 net orders through September, while Boeing’s monthly total was heavily concentrated in several large transactions. Boeing delivered 57 aircraft during September, including 43 737 MAX jets, compared with 72 Airbus deliveries. Over the first nine months, Boeing delivered 475 aircraft, including a record 363 737 MAX jets, while Airbus delivered 547.