Boeing plane deliveries total 35 in May as it grapples with supply chain problems

Boeing said Tuesday it delivered 35 planes in May, on par with the previous month as it grappled with supply chain issues affecting its bestselling 737 Max jetliner.

The manufacturer booked gross orders for 23 aircraft last month, the majority of them wide-body planes, whose sales have lagged narrow-body aircraft orders. Those included seven 787-9 Dreamliners for Lufthansa. In April, Boeing booked gross orders for 46 planes.

“We have got to work our way through these supply constraints,” Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said at a Bernstein investor conference earlier this month. He said the company does plan for production rate increases but will “only pull the trigger when the supply chain is ready.” 

While Boeing has faced supply chain issues for production of its Max jets, deliveries of its 787 Dreamliners remain paused as the company and the Federal Aviation Administration review production flaws before handing the planes over to customers.