Not A Record... But All Told, Not Terrible

Boeing said early on that 2008 would be an off year for aircraft sales -- and sure enough, it was right. The American planemaker announced Thursday it took net orders for 662 new planes for the year, bringing its backlog of unfilled commercial orders to more than 3,700 airplanes.

That number is far off the record 1,413 net orders Boeing claimed for 2007, and marks the first time in four years Boeing took orders for less than 1,000 airliners for the year. It's also likely around 200 planes less than Airbus is expected to claim for the year, when the European planemaker releases its totals later this month.

Given the slumping economy, however, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Scott Carson noted the total was still a victory.

"While we clearly faced obstacles, 2008 also was a time of accomplishment at Commercial Airplanes," said Carson, who noted that the 2008 order total was the eighth highest on record. "We are leaders in commercial aviation and with that comes the responsibility to deliver the best value to our customers, our shareholders and our communities.

The 737 narrowbody line remained the company's best seller, with 484 ordered in 2007. Demand for the all-new (but oft-delayed and increasingly troubled) 787 Dreamliner also remained fairly strong with 93 new planes ordered, primarily by Middle East customers.

The twin-aisle 777 captured 54 orders from customers in Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia. The 767-300ER logged 28 orders, and the 747-8 Intercontinental added three to the orders list.

As expected, Boeing's hope to claim the top deliveries crown for 2008 -- and with it, the title of World's Largest Planemaker -- likely came crashing down in the wake of the two-month strike by the International Association of Machinists. During 2008, 375 airplanes were delivered to customers -- 66 fewer planes than Boeing delivered in 2007, and 72 fewer than Airbus managed for that year.

Airbus is expected to announce close to 500 deliveries for 2008.

FMI: Boeing Orders And Deliveries Web Site