Boeing closed the first half of the year with 314 commercial aircraft deliveries, representing a 12% year-over-year increase and marking the company’s best semi-annual performance since 2018. Despite this operational rebound, the manufacturer continues to trail its European rival, Airbus.
Operational Boost and Production Ramp-up
The US aerospace giant reported completing the delivery of 64 commercial jets in June, surpassing the 60 units recorded in both the previous month and June 2025.
The company’s deliveries are projected to accelerate even further heading into the second half of the year. This is a direct result of a strategy to ramp up the production rate of its best-selling model, the 737 MAX, with the monthly assembly rate being increased from 42 to 47 narrowbodies.
Competitive Gap Against Airbus
Despite solid progress on the American assembly lines, the manufacturer still lags behind its European competitor. Airbus demonstrated a superior pace, registering the delivery of 89 commercial jets during June and closing the first half of the year with a total of 351 aircraft delivered worldwide.
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Breakdown of June Deliveries
The US manufacturer’s 64 deliveries during the sixth month of the year consisted of the following segment-by-segment model distribution:
- 42 units of the 737 MAX: Reaffirming its position as the company’s commercial backbone.
- 13 units of the 787: This batch included five aircraft that had faced previous delays due to issues certifying cabin seats destined for Saudi startup carrier Riyadh Air.
- 3 freighter aircraft of the 777 model.
- 1 aircraft of the 737-800A model.
- 5 aircraft of the 767 model: Three of which were allocated to the company’s defense division for subsequent conversion into KC-46 aerial refueling tankers.
Commercial Dynamics: Orders and the Historic 737 MAX Milestone
On the commercial front, the company booked a total of 121 new commercial orders against eight formal cancellations in June, yielding a net monthly balance of 113 new firm orders. With these transactions, the manufacturer’s net year-to-date total rises to 408 confirmed orders, a figure consolidated after accounting for respective cancellations and contract conversions.
This commercial period also secured a historic milestone for the single-aisle program. The 737 MAX reached 7,206 cumulative orders over its program history, officially surpassing the lifetime record of its predecessor, the 737 Next Generation (NG), a model that closed its commercial run with a total of 7,159 confirmed orders.
The first-half results confirm a gradual recovery in the North American manufacturer’s industrial capacity, driven primarily by strong demand for the 737 MAX. The key for the coming months will lie in supply chain stability to sustain the new production rate of 47 units per month and close the gap with its global competitors.
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