Boeing delivered a third fewer planes in its annus horribilis
Boeing delivered a third fewer planes in 2024 as the embattled planemaker endured one of the worst years in its history.
The US giant handed over 348 commercial airplanes over the 12 months, down from 528 the prior year and the lowest tally since the pandemic. Its rival Airbus gave 766 to its airline and lessor customers over the same period.
Deliveries of Boeing’s 737 Max totalled 265, more than 100 short of the 396 in 2023.
While Boeing did enjoy its best month in December as gross orders topped 142, the performance will do little to lighten the mood.
Sales were ultimately down significantly from the record 371 plane orders Boeing took in the same month of 2023.
A year of crisis
It follows a year of crisis, which began last January after a door panel on one of tis 737 Max-9 jets blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight.
It led to months of turmoil and investigations from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the US Department of Justice.
Chief executive Dave Calhoun announced he would depart in March, amid a major top brass shake-up that also saw the end of the head of its commercial airplanes division.
In the latter part of the year, Boeing was pummelled by strikes from the International Association of Machinist’s 33,000 members.
It announced plans to raise as much as £27bn in October through a credit agreement and share sale in a bid to boost its ballance sheet.
It also said it would axe around 17,000 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of its workforce amid forecasted full-year losses of $5bn (£4.1bn).