Company Delivers 25 Fewer Planes Than Last Year

Any plans Boeing had to make 2008 a record year for aircraft deliveries appear gone for good, in the wake of an ongoing machinists strike.

Boeing reported Friday its third-quarter commercial deliveries slipped to just 84 aircraft... 25 fewer than in the same period last year, and far less than the 126 deliveries the planemaker managed in Q2 2008.

As expected, most of Boeing's commercial deliveries were for the popular narrowbody 737, the planemaker's workhorse aircraft for close to 40 years. Boeing delivered 67 737s in Q3, down from 81 in the same period in 2007.

Deliveries of Boeing's widebody 777 declined similarly, with 11 planes delivered in the quarter compared with 20 delivered in Q3 2007. The company also slipped in handing over 747s and 767s to customers... though the latter type was aided by two deliveries of the KC-767 tanker to international customers.

To date, Boeing has delivered 325 commercial aircraft in 2008.

As recently as three months ago, Boeing appeared headed for a banner year in deliveries, with the strong possibility of eclipsing European rival Airbus for the title of world's largest commercial planemaker. Alas, that was before 27,000 workers represented by the International Association of Machinists struck the planemaker.

That strike, now entering its fourth week, has idled Boeing's commercial production lines... leaving large numbers of unfinished airliners waiting for completion, including Boeing's high-profile -- and oft-delayed -- 787 Dreamliner.

FMI: www.boeing.com