Boeing Posts Best Month of 2026 With 57 Aircraft Delivered in September
During the ninth month of the year, Boeing delivered 57 aircraft, marking an increase over the 51 units handed over in August and the 55 delivered during the same period last year. With this performance, the planemaker achieved its highest monthly total of the year to date, bolstered by ongoing efforts to ramp up assembly rates for its best-selling narrowbody model, the 737 MAX.
The breakdown of the 57 aircraft delivered in September is as follows:
- Boeing 737 MAX: 43 units delivered.
- Boeing 787 Dreamliner: 8 aircraft.
- Boeing 767: 4 aircraft in total, including three airframes transferred to the manufacturer’s defense division for completion as KC-46 aerial refueling tankers.
- Boeing 777 Freighter: 2 widebody freighters.
On a year-to-date basis through the end of September, the aerospace manufacturer has delivered 475 aircraft, representing an 8% year-over-year increase. Of that cumulative total, 363 were 737 MAX jets, marking the program’s highest delivery volume on record for the first nine months of any year.
→ FAA Clears Path for Boeing 737 MAX 10 Certification After Dismissing Flight Software Safety Risks
Production Challenges
The uptick in delivery cadence comes as Boeing steadily works to stabilize production at a rate of 47 737 MAX aircraft per month. However, reaching that target has encountered temporary headwinds.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg noted during an investor conference in September that firming up this monthly build rate has taken longer than originally anticipated.
Strong Sales Dominance Over Airbus: 165 Gross Orders in September
On the commercial front, Boeing trailed its European rival Airbus in gross deliveries during September, after the European OEM shipped 72 airframes during the month. However, the U.S. airframer substantially outpaced its counterpart in commercial sales activity. While Airbus booked just 17 orders across two customers last month, Boeing logged 165 gross orders.
The primary commercial catalyst for the month was a firm commitment from Turkish Airlines, which placed an order for 100 737 MAX aircraft.
Breakdown of orders logged during the month:
- Turkish Airlines: 100 737 MAX aircraft.
- Lufthansa: 20 737 MAX aircraft.
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 6 737 MAX aircraft and 5 787 units.
- Ethiopian Airlines: 8 777-8 Freighters and 2 777 Freighters.
- Undisclosed Customers: 6 737 MAX aircraft and 18 787 units.
Driven by this surge in passenger and cargo commitments, Boeing closed out September with an official order backlog of 6,371 aircraft, reflecting solid growth compared to the 6,156 units reported at the end of August.
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