Boeing delivered 13 commercial jets in November, less than a quarter of the 56 jetliners it handed over to customers 12 months earlier, the U.S. planemaker reported on Tuesday.
Deliveries were down from 14 in October, when most of the company’s aircraft production was still shut down during a seven-week-long strike that ended Nov. 5.
Boeing restarted production of its best-selling 737 MAX last week, which was first reported by Reuters.
The U.S. planemaker is trying to increase 737 production to a rate of 38 a month to generate much-needed revenue after it burned billions of dollars in cash during the first three quarters. However, it has been under heightened oversight by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration since a door plug blew out of a nearly new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 during a January flight.
The company plans to resume production of its 767, 777 and 777X in Everett “in the days ahead,” Boeing said in a statement. Boeing 787 production in South Carolina was not affected by the strike.
Boeing has said that it is taking a cautious approach to restarting production and has prioritized quality, safety and worker training. That approach is reflected in the month’s lower delivery numbers, the company said.
November’s deliveries included nine 737s, two 777 freighters and two 787-9s, according to the company. U.S. carrier United Airlines took delivery of three aircraft, including two 737 MAXes and one 787.
By comparison, after Boeing’s last strike ended in November 2008, it delivered four aircraft that month.
The company booked 49 gross orders during the month with 14 cancellations, including 34 737s and 15 767s for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-46 program.
Germany-based TUI canceled orders for 14 and will instead lease the planes from BOC Aviation, resulting in a net addition of 20 new 737 MAX orders.
Year to date, Boeing has booked 427 gross orders and 370 net orders after cancellations and conversions. After also adjusting for accounting standards, Boeing booked 191 net orders.
Boeing’s European rival Airbus delivered more than 80 jets in November, Reuters reported earlier this month.
(Reported by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Mark Porter)
