Key Highlights
- May aircraft deliveries reached 60 units, marking a 33% increase from the previous year
- The 737 MAX program delivered 51 planes—the strongest monthly performance since manufacturing restarted in December 2024
- Production targets for the 737 are set to climb from 42 units to 47 units monthly by summer
- New orders totaled 27, including a 10-aircraft 787 purchase by Lufthansa; cancellations reduced net orders to 11
- The company’s outstanding order book contains 6,178 aircraft at May’s close
Boeing announced Tuesday that it shipped 60 commercial aircraft during May, representing a 33% jump from May 2025 figures. Shares of BA stock declined 0.39% in Tuesday’s session.
Despite the improvement, the aerospace manufacturer continues to lag behind Airbus, which posted 81 deliveries in the same period.
Among May’s shipments, the 737 MAX accounted for 51 units. This marks the program’s strongest monthly showing since manufacturing operations resumed in December 2024 after a work stoppage that had suspended production.
The aircraft maker is preparing to boost 737 manufacturing rates from the current 42 planes monthly to 47 units, with implementation scheduled for the upcoming summer months.
May brought in 27 fresh aircraft orders. Among these were 14 737 models designated for military conversion for a buyer whose identity was not disclosed.
Lufthansa contributed a notable order for 10 units of the 787 Dreamliner, representing one of May’s significant transactions.
The manufacturer also processed 16 order cancellations for 737 MAX aircraft in May, resulting in a net gain of 11 new orders for the month.
737 MAX Drives Manufacturing Resurgence
The 737 MAX program has emerged as the cornerstone of Boeing’s manufacturing comeback. May’s 51 deliveries signal substantial progress from the program’s position in recent months.
The upcoming production increase to 47 aircraft monthly this summer will serve as an important indicator of whether the company can sustain this upward trajectory.
Additional May deliveries comprised six 787 Dreamliner units, one 777 cargo variant, and one 767 freighter.
The 787 production line remains hampered by certification hurdles connected to premium cabin configurations, which has limited that model’s delivery volumes.
Performance Through May 2026
Boeing’s cumulative deliveries through May reached 250 aircraft for 2026. The 737 MAX represented 198 of those deliveries.
New aircraft orders through the first five months totaled 324, offset by 29 cancellations or order modifications, yielding 295 net new orders year-to-date.
At the conclusion of May, the manufacturer’s total backlog contained 6,178 aircraft awaiting delivery.
