Boeing jet deliveries drop 14% in October

By Dan Catchpole

SEATTLE, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Boeing said on Tuesday it delivered 49 jets in October, down from 57 the previous month and 53 a year earlier.

However, Boeing had its strongest October for orders minus cancellations since 1997, booking 165 new orders with no cancellations. Most of those came from lessor Avolon's order for 140 737 MAX jets. 

• Boeing delivered 32 737 MAX jets in October, down from 43 in September, with CEO Kelly Ortberg saying last month that it would miss its 737 delivery target of about 500 jets this year.

• Deliveries also included 11 787 Dreamliners, two 777 freighters and three 767s, including one for Boeing Defense's KC-46 tanker program.

• The lower deliveries come as Boeing works to raise 737 production to 47 jets a month, a rate Ortberg said the company would reach in early 2027.

• Wing production for 737 jets remains a constraint, and a supplier dispute has stalled wing production for 777 freighters and 767s.

• Through October, the US planemaker has delivered 524 jets, up about 6% from 493 a year earlier, well behind European rival Airbus, which delivered 621 in the first 10 months of the year.

• Air New Zealand took delivery of two 787s despite still waiting for certification by European regulators of its economy-class Skyrest sleep pods, according to the airline and news reports.

• Of the October orders, 150 were for 737 MAX jets: 140 for Avolon, six for Allegiant Air and four for unidentified customers. The other 15 were 787s for unidentified customers.

(Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Sonali Paul)