Boeing’s sales decline as the company receives no orders for the 737 Max for the second month in a row
The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is pictured outside a Boeing factory on March 25, 2024 in Renton, Washington.
Stephen Brashear | beautiful images
Boeing received orders for just four new planes in May – and for the second month in a row, there were no orders for its best-selling 737 Max, as the fallout continued from the explosion the Max’s side panel during a flight in January.
Results released Tuesday compare unfavorably with Europe’s Airbus, which reported orders for 27 new planes in May.
Boeing also saw Aerolineas Argentinas cancel an order for one Max jet, bringing its net sales for the month to three.
The dismal results followed dismal numbers in April, when Boeing reported seven sales — none for the Max.
Boeing hopes that the slow pace of orders reflects slowing sales ahead of next month’s Farnborough International Air Show, where aircraft deals are regularly announced.
However, the Federal Aviation Administration is limiting Boeing’s production of the 737 after a door plug blew on an Alaska Airlines Max, with whistleblowers alleging that Boeing took shortcuts to produce the plane quickly. more and reports of falsified inspection records on some 787 Dreamliner jets.
Boeing, based in Arlington, Virginia, delivered 24 jets in May, including 19 Max jets. Ireland’s Ryanair has four and Alaska Airlines has three. Airbus said it delivered 53 planes last month.
Despite the recent slowdown in sales, Boeing still has a backlog of more than 5,600 orders.
