Boeing delivers fewer airplanes in 2016, but not by much

It’s hard to top a record year for airplane deliveries, and that was certainly the case for Boeing in 2016.



The commercial planemaker on Friday reported its 2016 deliveries, and they were off by 2 percent from 2015, when Boeing delivered its most-ever jetliners.

Boeing said 2016 deliveries totaled 748 compared with 762 the year before. Whether that number places Boeing No. 1 for jetliner deliveries is unclear. Its European rival, Airbus, is set to report its 2016 deliveries on Wednesday.

Of those 2016 deliveries, 490 were for its most-popular airplane, the narrowbody 737. That compares with 495 737 deliveries in 2015.

It also delivered half as many 747s as the prior year, and three fewer 767s.

But it saw year-over-year gains for 787 Dreamliner deliveries, by two airplanes, and the 777, by one airplane.

Net orders in 2016 were 100 airplanes lower from 2015, at 668, and unfilled orders stood at 5,715. That compares with 5,795 in 2015.

Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems manufactures major parts of all Boeing airplanes, including 70 percent of the 737.

(culled from www.kansas.com)