Boeing airliner sales jump but deliveries lag rival Airbus

After a couple dismal years, Boeing is getting more orders and delivering more airline planes

Boeing finished 2021 far behind European rival Airbus in deliveries of new aircraft, but sales bounced back after two dismal years caused by the 737 Max crashes and the pandemic.

Boeing said Tuesday that it delivered 38 commercial planes in December and 340 for all of 2021, nearly double the total for 2020.

However, Airbus reported Monday that it made 611 deliveries in 2021, topping Boeing for a third straight year. Boeing was hindered by production flaws that prevented shipments of its 787 Dreamliner for most of 2021.

Deliveries are bigger than bragging rights — they are an important source of cash for the companies because airlines typically pay a large portion of the purchase price when they take possession of a new plane.