Boeing deliveries, orders tick up in May ahead of Paris Air Show

Boeing handed over 50 airplanes to customers last month, up from 35 in April, though it trails rival Airbus in deliveries so far this year as the Paris Air Show approaches.

The deliveries included eight 787 Dreamliners. Boeing last week said a new manufacturing flaw — the second disclosed this year — will slow near-term deliveries of the wide-body planes, which are in high demand due to the recovery in international travel.

Boeing has delivered 206 planes so far this year, behind the 244 that Airbus has handed over in the first five months of the year.

Both Boeing and Airbus have announced plans to increase output of new planes to meet strong demand in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

Arlington, Virginia-based Boeing reported gross orders of 69 planes for May, up from 34 in April. Net of 11 cancellations it sold 58 planes, most of them 737 Max jets.

The Paris Air Show kicks off Monday, when Boeing, Airbus and other aerospace manufacturers will meet with customers and potentially announce more new orders in the first in-person iteration of the event since before the pandemic.