Boeing delivered 143 commercial aircraft in the first quarter of 2026, beating Airbus’s 114 deliveries. It is the first time the American manufacturer has won a quarterly delivery race since early 2019.
Why it matters: The delivery milestone signals that Boeing’s two-year recovery from production slowdowns and safety investigations is gaining traction, though the company remains unprofitable.
The numbers
The 737 MAX accounted for 114 of the 143 deliveries. Boeing also handed over six 767 freighters, eight 777 widebodies, and 15 787 Dreamliners.
The company’s order backlog reached a record $682 billion. Analysts noted that the 737 MAX production rate has been outpacing Airbus’s narrowbody output in recent months.
Financial expectations
Boeing reports full first-quarter financial results on 22 April. Wall Street expects an adjusted loss of $0.69 per share on revenue of approximately $21.6 billion, an 11% increase from the same quarter last year.
The loss is wider than the $0.37-per-share loss reported in the year-ago quarter. Boeing has forecast free cash flow between $1 billion and $3 billion for the full year and set a delivery target of 500 737 MAX aircraft.
Wiring setback
March deliveries slowed after Boeing discovered wiring issues in some 737 MAX jets. Approximately 10 aircraft handovers were pushed into the second quarter as a result.
The company has not disclosed whether additional aircraft are affected or whether the issue requires a broader inspection programme.
Production context
Boeing’s recovery follows a turbulent period that included a door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in January 2024, subsequent production caps imposed by the FAA, and a machinist strike that halted output for weeks. The delivery figures suggest the worst of those disruptions is behind the company.