Boeing has reached a significant milestone with its aircraft deliveries to North America.
According to Stocklytics.com, the aerospace giant marks a 22-year high in the North American market, with deliveries climbing to 293 units, over 50% of its cumulative deliveries in 2023.
Edith Reads, the site’s financial analyst, said, “Boeing’s 2023 deliveries represent a major milestone for the corporation. Several airlines have responded positively to Boeing’s focus on innovation and sustainability as they look to update their fleets and lessen their impact on the environment.”
While Boeing has been successful, reports of malfunctions are raising growing concerns about the safety of its aircraft. Boeing must proactively address these issues in aircraft production to prevent a decline in its performance.
Boeing’s delivery count
Before 2019, Boeing out-delivered all of its standing rivals, including Airbus. However, following the harrowing incident with the crash of the 737 Max 8 in 2019, Boeing faced devastating consequences, plunging its long-held monopoly. The 737 model was grounded in over 50 countries worldwide for nearly two years, with sales plummetting to 157 units in 2020 from 380 in 2019.
Before then, Boeing had also faced similar safety concerns tracing back to 2018 with the fall of Lion Air 610 and the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines flight, which barely lasted 7 minutes mid-air. Consequently, 2023 marked a recovery period for the American aircraft manufacturer, with 528 units delivered. This is a notable increase from the 480 units delivered in 2022.
The United States and Canada contributed the most to the latest sales, and the European market trailed them, with roughly 96 aircraft deliveries. Boeing received over 1314 new orders, up from 2022’s 774. This successful year underscores the possible return of the aircraft’s dominance.
However, the January 2024 incident may halt Boeing’s full-blown recovery. Analysts predict a significant delay in deliveries following revamped regulatory scrutiny. Alaska and United Airlines are investigating the 737 Max 9 blowout, with Boeing’s shares plunging by close to 30%
Boeing, in comparison to Airbus
The augmented audits and regulatory checks have caused a significant slip in Boeing’s deliveries, with roughly 29 units added to its count in March, while Airbus is blooming with 63 units delivered. Compared to last year’s deliveries for March, Boeing falls short by a considerable number, following the recorded 64 units delivered and Airbus 61.
Year-to-date, Boeing and Airbus have delivered 83 and 142 aircraft compared to 130 and 127, respectively, during the first quarter of 2023. Even with Boeing making a significant comeback with its blazing trajectory in 2023, Airbus took the lead on the delivery front, with 735 units delivered, hinting at a substantial takeover in the airline industry.
Considering the latest safety debacle, the aeroplane maker needs to do more to oversee its production process and guarantee safety for its clients, lest they suffer even more tumultuous losses in the forthcoming months.
