Deliveries of Boeing's most popular aircraft have fallen to their lowest level in nearly a year

Deliveries of Boeing’s most in-demand aircraft—the 737 Max—slowed to their lowest level in nearly a year in October, according to Jefferies. This could complicate efforts to improve financial performance for the company, which has already had to revise its plans to increase production volumes.

Boeing delivered about 32 737 Max family aircraft in October—the lowest monthly total since November 2025, according to Bloomberg, citing data from Cirium and a note from Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu. By comparison, the company delivered 43 such aircraft to customers in September.

A Boeing spokesperson declined to comment to Bloomberg on October 737 Max deliveries until the official data is released, which is expected later in November.

The decline came after Boeing lowered its annual delivery target for the 737 Max from the initial 500 units and postponed plans to increase production rates. Last month, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told investors that manufacturing process issues were hampering wing production and delaying the ramp-up of 737 production.

Delays in aircraft deliveries occur for various reasons, so a decline in such delays does not necessarily indicate a slowdown in the company’s manufacturing operations, Bloomberg notes. However, the fourth quarter is traditionally a period of increased deliveries for aircraft manufacturers: companies strive to meet their annual targets and sell off their inventory of finished aircraft. For example, Boeing’s European competitor, Airbus, delivered about 74 aircraft in October, ramping up to an unprecedented pace of deliveries in order to meet its annual target, Bloomberg reports.

Earlier this year, Boeing showed signs of a recovery in production: in the third quarter, the company delivered a total of 161 aircraft, and in October, the regulator approved an increase in 737 MAX production to 52 aircraft per month. However, the company does not expect to reach that production rate until the second half of next year, Ortberg said.

Boeing shares rose 0.5% at the close of trading on November 6. However, they are currently trading at a 20.1% discount compared to their price at the beginning of 2026. Despite this, the most common analyst recommendation is to buy Boeing stock: analysts have issued a total of 28 “Buy” and “Overweight” ratings versus four “Hold” ratings, according to MarketWatch.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor