Boeing deliveries fall as strikes impact output
Boeing deliveries fell in September as the embattled US planemaker felt the bite from recent industrial action.
The Airlington-based manufacturer said on Tuesday it had delivered 33 planes in September, down from 40 in August, 43 in July and 44 in June.
The figures marked a slight rise year-on-year but came in substantially lower than its 10-year average of 50 planes.
Some 27 Max jets were delivered to customers last month, which include United Airlines, South West Airlines and Ryanair.
Boeing has faced significant turbulence in recent weeks after its rank-and-file machinists walked out in September in a dispute over pay.
The action from Members of the International Association of Machinists District 751, which represents around 33,000 Boeing workers in Washington, ground production to a halt at its factories in the Puget Sound region on September 13.
Boeing shares have fallen 38 per cent already this year to date. Shares were trading down 0.58 per cent as of 5pm GMT.
Prior to September’s strikes, the firm had been dealing with a major scandal following the blowout of a door panel on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
The incident, which impacted one of Boeing’s iconic 737 Max jets, forced a temporary grounding of its Max 9 fleet and prompted an investigation from the US Department of Justice. It also resulted in a major top brass shake-up, including the departure of CEO Dave Calhoun and Stan Pope, the head of Boeing’s commercial aeroplanes division.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has temporarily capped 737 Max output to 38 per month in the wake of January’s incident.