Sees 737 Max Demand Rise, Boosted by 109 Jets

Boeing has seen its 10th straight month of positive order activity, obtaining 109 orders for their 737 Max aircraft during November 2021 alone.

The number was greatly boosted by Southwest Airlines with their purchase of 91 net orders, joined by a number of other carriers. Indian Airline Akasa Air accounted for 72 aircraft, with 30 for lessor 777 Partners in addition to the Southwest buy. 

The year has proven that consumer confidence in the 737 Max has largely returned, if it had ever even left. The ambivalence is something of an oddity to those who recall the troubled passenger reception received by the Douglas DC-10 once upon a time. Boeing did some shuffling with a few orders and commitments as it reorganized its book. The manufacturer saw 18 737 Max cancellations, including 2 from United Airlines, 6 from Thailand's Nok Air, 4 from CDB Aviation, 1 from GECAS, and 1 from Kazakhstan's SCAT Airlines. The maker moved a few off of their commitment list earmarked for customers unlikely to follow through with their purchase, placing 18 737 Max into the list from the backlog, resulting in a reduction in backorders by 7 aircraft.

The company managed to ship 34 aircraft in November, up from 27 in October. 

Boeing's widebody aircraft have been less enticing in November, another month without shipments of the troubled 787 Dreamliner as it awaits rectification of quality control issues. Its older siblings, however, saw shipment, including 1 747-8 VIP jet to the Egyptian Ministry of Defense, a pair of 767F's to UPS and FedEx, and 2 KC-46 Tankers to the USAF. Boeing's backlog still stands strong, now in the neighborhood of 4,200 aircraft. The 737 is still their most popular offering, accounting for nearly 3,400 of those orders, with 411 787s.

FMI: www.boeing.com