On April 15, 2025, Boeing 737 fuselages were photographed at the company’s Renton, Washington factory.
Jason Redmond | AFP | Getty Images
Boeing received 303 new airplane orders last month, marking the highest total since December 2023. This comes as the company seeks to gain ground on its competitor Airbus while ensuring the stability of production for its top-selling jets near the limits set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In May, Boeing delivered 45 aircraft, maintaining the same level as the previous month and showing an increase from the 24 planes delivered during the same month last year.
From January to May this year, Boeing has delivered a total of 220 aircraft, compared to Airbus’s 243 deliveries. Deliveries are crucial for both companies, as most of the payment for an aircraft is made upon delivery.
When factoring in cancellations and modifications, Boeing has received a net total of 512 orders for the year so far, whereas Airbus has secured 215. More orders may be finalized next week during the Paris Air Show — a major trade event for companies to unveil new technologies and aircraft and finalize agreements.
Last year, the FAA restricted Boeing’s 737 Max production to 38 units per month after a door plug failure occurred on a nearly new Max 9 shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. Although there were no serious injuries, this incident negatively impacted Boeing’s output.
CEO Kelly Ortberg mentioned that the company aims to stabilize production at this rate before potentially asking the FAA for permission to increase it.
In terms of new orders, Boeing recorded 345 net orders last month, which included 146 for the 737 Max and 157 for the 787 Dreamliner and the not-yet-certified 777X as part of a substantial wide-body order from Qatar Airways. This deal was made last month during President Donald Trump’s visit to Doha, Qatar.
Ortberg noted at the end of last month that Boeing anticipates resuming deliveries to Chinese airlines this month after a hiatus due to tensions from the trade conflict between the Trump administration and China.
Taking accounting adjustments into account, Boeing’s net orders for the year total 606, with a backlog of 5,943 at the close of May.
