Boeing airplane deliveries slipped in February, Dreamliner problem lingers

Boeing delivered 22 jetliners to customers in February, its fewest since August, as a pause in Dreamliner handovers continues to weigh on the company.

Twenty of those aircraft were 737 Max planes. Deliveries of jets are crucial for Boeing and other manufacturers because that’s when customers pay the bulk of the plane’s price.

Deliveries of the wide-body 787 Dreamliner have been paused for most of the time since fall 2020 as Boeing addresses a series of manufacturing flaws that have required fixes and more in-depth inspections.

American Airlines last month announced additional cuts to its international summer schedule because of Dreamliner delivery delays. It said it expects to receive 10 Dreamliners this year, down from the 13 it previously expected.

Boeing logged 37 new orders last month. Thirty-two of them were 737 Maxes, including 18 for lessor Air Lease. An unidentified customer bought five 777 freighters as air cargo demand continues to remain robust during the Covid pandemic. Air Lease debooked four Dreamliners.

Boeing’s orders for customers in Russia remained in tact, despite the fact that it and rival  Airbus said they would no longer supply parts or service aircraft there.

Boeing has 85 airplanes on order by Russian airlines or by lessors that are slated to go to Russian airlines, while Airbus has 66, according to aviation data and consulting firm Cirium.