Boeing boosts May deliveries 33%, 737 MAX output hits new high

Boeing’s delivery rebound looks real on paper, but the credibility test remains the same: can the company turn a burst of handovers into a steadier manufacturing rhythm after years of safety, quality and production setbacks? Boeing said it delivered 60 commercial jets in May, up 33% from a year earlier, with 51 of them coming from the 737 MAX line. That was Boeing’s strongest month for the single-aisle program since production restarted in December 2024 after a strike, yet the company still trailed Airbus, which delivered 81 aircraft in the same period.

The numbers matter because every completed handover brings in cash, and investors have been using deliveries as a shorthand measure of whether Boeing is finally stabilizing operations. Boeing’s May tally also came as management prepared to lift 737 output, a move that suggests the assembly system and supply chain are holding up better than they did earlier in the recovery. CEO Kelly Ortberg said on May 27 that Boeing had met Federal Aviation Administration requirements to increase 737 MAX production to 47 aircraft a month, from 42 a month before the planned increase.

Even with the improved monthly flow, Boeing is still climbing out of a deep hole. The company reported 324 gross new orders through the end of May, offset by 29 cancellations or conversions, for 295 net new orders. Its backlog stood at 6,178 aircraft at month-end, a reminder that demand remains substantial even as Boeing works through the operational problems that have slowed deliveries. In the first quarter of 2026, Boeing’s commercial deliveries totaled 143 aircraft, including 114 737s, 6 767s, 8 777s and 15 787s.

The May mix included more than just 737 MAX jets. Bloomberg said Boeing’s deliveries included six 787 Dreamliners, showing that the widebody business is contributing, even if the 737 MAX continues to do most of the heavy lifting. Boeing has also been dealing with a wiring issue that delayed some handovers earlier in the year, another sign that the recovery is still uneven across programs.

Jay Malave, Boeing’s chief financial officer, has said higher deliveries in 2026 should be a major driver of positive cash flow. If the company can hold the higher 737 rate and avoid fresh disruptions, May may prove to be more than a catch-up month.