Boeing set to lose biggest planemaker title as deliveries fall 37%

Boeing is set to lose the title of being the world’s biggest planemaker after reporting a 37% drop in deliveries for the first half of the year due to the prolonged grounding of its best-selling MAX jets. Boeing deliveries lagged those of Airbus SE, which on Tuesday said it handed over 389 planes in the same period, up 28% from a year earlier. Reuters had reported Airbus delivery numbers on Friday, citing sources. The numbers indicate that Boeing’s full-year deliveries are likely to fall behind its European rival for the first time in eight years. A new problem identified with the grounded MAX jets last month has delayed the aircraft’s entry into service until at least the end of September, disrupting schedules for airline operators and possibly adding to costs for Boeing. To cope with the fallout after the grounding, Boeing has slowed production to 42 MAX jets per month from 52 earlier, causing the planemaker to take a $1b charge in Q1. J.P. Morgan analyst Seth Seifman has speculated that the new delay could prompt Boeing to consider another production cut and book an additional charge in Q2, hurting 737 margins further. <br/>