A Historic Surge in Orders
Boeing secured 303 gross aircraft orders in May—its sixth-highest monthly total ever, according to company data. Driving this surge was a landmark deal with Qatar Airways, which placed Boeing’s largest-ever widebody order: 130 Dreamliners (787s) and 30 next-generation 777Xs, along with options for 50 more. Of those, 120 787s were formally added to the May order book; the remaining 10 were technically booked in March but had not yet been attributed to Qatar in public records.
The Qatar deal was part of a broader wave of high-profile agreements announced during U.S. diplomatic engagements in the Middle East. One day before the Qatar announcement, Saudi Arabia’s AviLease confirmed an order for 20 737-8 MAX aircraft. Etihad Airways also signaled plans to order 28 widebody jets, although that prospective order was not finalized in time to be included in May's figures.
Other contributors to Boeing's robust month included Canadian carrier WestJet, which ordered seven 737 MAX jets but also canceled two prior orders. In total, three orders were canceled in May, resulting in a net order gain of 300 aircraft and pushing Boeing’s total backlog to 5,943 units as of May 31.
Production Gains and Delivery Momentum
In parallel with surging demand, Boeing continued to ramp up aircraft deliveries—a critical metric for investors, as most payments are collected at the time of delivery. The company delivered 45 jets in May, its fifth consecutive month exceeding the 40-plane threshold and nearly doubling the 24 deliveries recorded in May 2024.
Key deliveries included:
- 31 737 MAX aircraft (with United Airlines and Alaska Airlines among the largest recipients)
- 7 787 Dreamliners (including three to Qatar Airways)
- 5 777 freighters
- 1 767 freighter
- 1 737 Next-Generation jet modified for U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon use
Importantly, none of the deliveries went to Chinese airlines, which had suspended new Boeing aircraft acquisitions since April due to geopolitical tensions and tariff disputes. That impasse eased recently, with a new 737 MAX landing in China on Monday—the first such delivery since the lifting of the temporary ban.
So far in 2025, Boeing has delivered 220 aircraft, including:
- 164 737 MAXes
- 28 787s
- 16 777s
- 9 767s
- 3 737 NGs for military conversion
By comparison, European rival Airbus has delivered 243 aircraft year-to-date, including 51 in May. Airbus reported no new orders in May but is expected to unveil several significant deals at the Paris Air Show starting Monday.
Stabilizing Production at 737 MAX Output Cap
In a notable milestone, Boeing rolled out 38 new 737 MAX aircraft in May—meeting a monthly production target it has been pursuing for over a year. This output rate was established as a cap by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following a mid-air panel blowout incident in January 2024 that raised quality concerns across Boeing’s supply chain.
Boeing’s production schedule has faced turbulence in recent years due to supplier delays, internal quality issues, and labor disruptions—including a strike in 2024 that temporarily shuttered key production lines in Washington and Oregon. Since restarting production in December, the company has taken a measured approach to scaling output.
CEO Kelly Ortberg has emphasized that the company will not seek FAA approval to increase production beyond the current 38-per-month cap until it consistently meets internal quality benchmarks over several months. As of May, Boeing reports that all six safety and production quality metrics agreed upon with U.S. regulators are in the green.
Outlook: Gaining Altitude Ahead of the Paris Air Show
With major deals secured, output targets achieved, and deliveries on the rise, Boeing enters the Paris Air Show with a sense of momentum it hasn’t enjoyed in years. Yet challenges remain—from stabilizing production to managing geopolitical headwinds and regaining share in critical markets like China.
Still, for now, Boeing appears to have pulled out of the turbulence of recent years and is gaining altitude once again. All eyes will be on the company’s next moves in Paris, where the world’s aerospace giants will compete not just for orders—but for long-term strategic positioning in an industry undergoing rapid transformation.
Let me know if you’d like a shortened version or adapted tone for a particular audience (e.g., investors, industry insiders, general public).