Boeing Co booked 164 gross airplane orders in November, with almost half of those for the hulking 777X jetliners, to extend its sales lead over reeling European rival Airbus SE.
Boeing’s tally featured a 65-jet order from Emirates for the 777X, with another customer buying nine. Boeing also recorded 43 orders for 737 Max jets, 30 for 787 Dreamliner models and 17 for other widebodies.
The US planemaker logged 1,000 gross orders through November, compared with 797 for Airbus, which recorded 75 sales last month. Boeing has been buoyed by surging demand for its widebody models and enthusiastic support from US President Donald Trump.
The competitors have seen their roles diverge in recent weeks as the France-based manufacturer grappled with several quality shortfalls, including potentially defective metal panels, and lowered its annual delivery target.
This week, the US Federal Aviation Administration updated an airworthiness directive requiring operators of almost 2,000 Airbus A320 family aircraft to perform more frequent inspections of door fasteners to check for possible cracks.
The recent setbacks have eroded confidence in Airbus’ manufacturing quality while Boeing “has significantly raised its game,” International Air Transport Association Director General Willie Walsh said on Tuesday.
Airbus is planning for record production of its narrowbody models. Boeing, meanwhile, is cautiously ramping up factories under government supervision after a near-catastrophe on an airborne 737 Max last year.
The FAA cleared Boeing to boost output of the cash cow 737 family to 42 jets per month in October. However, the company hasn’t officially adopted that higher pace yet as it monitors the quality of planes rolling out of the factory.
Boeing delivered just 44 jets in November, due in part to the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. Those include 32 of its 737 Max and six of its 787 Dreamliner.
Airbus, meanwhile, handed over 72 planes and needs to deliver 133 jets this month to hit the revised annual target.
Through November 30, Boeing delivered 537 airplanes to 657 for Airbus.
While Boeing is selling widebodies at the fastest pace since 2007, it did record 38 cancellations in November. Etihad Airways scrapped orders for 15 777X and seven Dreamliners.
