Boeing, only 30 aircraft delivered in September

Deliveries fell for Boeing, which saw 33 aircraft leave its factories in September compared to the 40 aircraft delivered in August. Production was affected by the strike that began in the middle of the month and has not yet ended of the approximately 33,000 workers on the US West Coast. Boeing is still negotiating with union representatives to end the strike and has stated that it will safely store undelivered aircraft until deliveries resume after a new contract is ratified. According to data published on the company's website, the September count includes 28 Boeing 737 Max four 787 Dreamliners and one 767 freighter: among the 737 MAX customers are five at United Airlines and three each at Ryanair and Southwest Airlines, whose CEOs have expressed concern about the drop in deliveries.

Investors are closely watching the delivery numbers, as aircraft manufacturers receive most of the payment when the aircraft is delivered. Boeing said it expects a reduction in deliveries in the future due to the strike. It also booked 65 gross orders in the same month, including 54 737 MAX and 11 777 freighters for unidentified customers. On 19 September, the China Development Bank Financial Leasing said its aircraft leasing unit was ready to order 50 Boeing MAX jets.

Total gross orders since the beginning of the year rose to 315. After eliminating cancellations and conversions, Boeing has recorded a net total of 272 orders since January and in one year Boeing has delivered 291 aircraft, including 225 737 Maxes.

Meanwhile, Airbus's annual target, which had already been reduced, has become increasingly unlikely, as September's deliveries have left the European company with a gap for the last three months that will be difficult to close: according to Bloomberg reports, Airbus is expected to have delivered around 50 aircraft to airlines in September, bringing the number since the beginning of the year to 500, leaving Airbus with a gap of 270 towards its annual target of 770 deliveries. Although the pace tends to pick up towards the end of the year, Airbus would have to deliver more aircraft in each of the last three months than it has delivered so far in 2024 to hit the target. In June, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer was forced to reduce the target to 770 from the previous 800, citing persistent supply chain shortcomings. The European aircraft manufacturer has long complained that the supply chain is struggling to recover from the damage caused by the pandemic, which has disrupted the industry and forced component manufacturers to cut jobs and spending to preserve cash. The shortage in aircraft deliveries is weighing on airlines that are not receiving the planes they ordered, forcing them to fly older models longer or reduce some routes.