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Boeing posts strongest first-half aircraft deliveries since 2018 with 314 jets
Boeing delivered 314 commercial aircraft in the first half of 2026, a 12% increase over 2025, led by rising 737 MAX output and strong deliveries of 787 Dreamliners.
The gist
Boeing’s first-half 2026 deliveries topped 300 jets for the first time since 2018, boosted by ramped 737 MAX production and 787 delivery uptick.
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Boeing reported a significant surge in commercial aircraft deliveries during the first half of 2026, handing over 314 jets, the highest six-month total the company has posted since 2018. The delivery numbers reflect a rebound in production of the 737 MAX, Boeing's bestselling aircraft family, which has been recovering steadily following earlier production and regulatory challenges. The strong inflow of deliveries comes as the company increases its monthly 737 MAX production targets to meet growing demand.
In the second quarter alone, Boeing delivered 171 commercial aircraft, comprising 129 737s, 25 787 Dreamliners, 10 767s, and seven 777s. Overall, from January through June, deliveries included 243 737s, 40 787s, 16 767s, and 15 777s. Notably, June 2026 deliveries hit 64 aircraft, surpassing both the previous month's 60 and the June 2025 figure of 60, underscoring a continuing upward trajectory. The June tally incorporated 42 737 MAX models and 13 787 Dreamliners, highlighting sustained effort to restore 787 production and deliveries.
Boeing's effort to increase 737 MAX production is central to the delivery improvement. The manufacturer aims to raise monthly 737 MAX output from 42 aircraft toward 47, intending to stabilize this rate despite some month-to-month variations caused by inspection schedules, customer demands, or completion work on pre-built airframes. The 314 first-half deliveries represent a 12% increase compared with the 280 commercial airplanes delivered over the same period in 2025, which had already reflected a recovery after disruptions and increased regulatory scrutiny earlier this decade.
The competitive landscape in commercial aircraft production remains intense, with Airbus maintaining a lead in deliveries. The European manufacturer handed over 351 aircraft in the first half of 2026, including 89 in June alone—a 15% increase over its first-half 2025 totals. This highlights the ongoing challenge for Boeing to regain full market share and production momentum amid a recovering aerospace market.
Among Boeing’s June deliveries, several 787 Dreamliners destined for Riyadh Air stood out. These aircraft had previously experienced delays due to seat certification issues, but Riyadh Air began revenue service operations after receiving its first Dreamliners in June, marking a milestone for both the airline and Boeing. Additionally, June's deliveries included three 777 freighters and five 767s, three of which will be converted into KC-46 aerial refueling tankers by Boeing’s defense division, indicating the company's continued integration of commercial platforms into defense applications.
On the orders front, Boeing secured 121 gross commercial aircraft orders in June, balanced by just eight cancellations, resulting in 113 net orders for the month. For the first half of 2026, Boeing's net commercial order backlog stands at 408 after cancellations and accounting adjustments. Cumulatively, Boeing has now accrued 7,206 orders for the 737 MAX family, surpassing the 7,159 orders recorded for the previous-generation 737NG, reaffirming market confidence in the current narrowbody model.
Beyond commercial deliveries, Boeing’s defense division reported 35 aircraft and satellite deliveries in the second quarter and 65 over the first half of the year. This total includes 32 new or remanufactured AH-64 Apache helicopters, eight KC-46 tankers, eight CH-47 Chinooks, and five F/A-18-family aircraft, underscoring the company’s ongoing commitments in military aerospace production alongside its commercial resurgence.
Boeing has cautioned that all delivery figures are preliminary and subject to final verification when it releases its official second-quarter financial results scheduled for July 28, 2026. Nevertheless, the positive delivery trends observed reflect a key phase in Boeing's recovery and ramp-up after years of challenges in production and regulatory approvals.
Frequently asked questions
- How many commercial aircraft did Boeing deliver in the first half of 2026?
- Boeing delivered 314 commercial aircraft during the first half of 2026, marking its highest total since 2018.
- What factors contributed to Boeing's increased deliveries in early 2026?
- The increase was driven mainly by ramped-up production of the 737 MAX and strong deliveries of 787 Dreamliners, including resolving prior delays with Riyadh Air's aircraft.
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Boeing advances new St Louis factory for sixth-generation combat jet production
Although not officially tied to the US Air Force’s F-47 programme, the St. Louis plant is widely expected to assemble the new sixth-generation fighter. Boeing is progressing with construction of a new classified factory that will build the next generation of advanced combat aircraft. Work on the site began in 2024 across the street from the St. Louis, Missouri, headquarters of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS). Known within the company as the Brownleigh Site, the new factory is located in the heart of Boeing’s combat aircraft production campus, which includes assembly lines for the F-15EX, F/A-18E/F and T-7A jets, as well as several types of precision munitions. The MQ-25 uncrewed refueller will be assembled at another plant in nearby Mascoutah, Illinois. “Momentum continues on our St. Louis expansion,” says Dan Gillian, general manager of Boeing’s air dominance unit. “We are expanding our defence footprint while supporting next-generation capabilities.” Images released by Boeing indicate that exterior work on the 102,000sq m (1.1 million sq ft) factory is now largely complete, with the roof, exterior panels and hangar doors all installed. Redevelopment of a disused McDonnell Douglas manufacturing site known as the Northern Tract is also progressing, including the installation of the first steel support columns. The Brownleigh Site, along with the rest of Boeing’s fighter production campus and delivery centre, is adjacent to St. Louis Lambert International airport. Although not officially tied to the US Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme, the factory being developed at the Brownleigh Site is expected to produce Boeing’s developmental F-47 fighter, which will be the Pentagon’s first frontline sixth-generation tactical jet. Boeing has long been cagey about the $1.8 billion factory, which the company began first developing in 2023. Active construction began in 2024, well before Boeing had secured a competitive win for the NGAD contract against rival Lockheed Martin. The new advanced combat aircraft factory under construction at the Brownleigh Site is located in close proximity to Boeing’s defence business headquarters and the company’s fighter delivery centre at St. Louis Lambert International airport. Credit: Screenshot from Google Earth During a 2024 FlightGlobal visit to BDS headquarters in St. Louis, Boeing executives described the advanced combat aircraft plant as a “bet” on the company’s future. A billboard visible outside the Brownleigh Site construction area prominently featured a sixth-generation-style black jet, proclaiming Boeing's commitment to fighter manufacturing. That risky bet paid off. Boeing won the NGAD competition in 2025 and is now progressing toward the first flight of an F-47 prototype, currently planned for 2028. The airframer is also a presumptive finalist for the US Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter, alongside rival Northrop Grumman. The expansion of Boeing’s industrial footprint in St. Louis has likely contributed to the confident proclamations from BDS chief executive Steve Parker that the company is capable of delivering both the F-47 and F/A-XX, should Boeing also be selected for the navy programme. "Can Boeing do both? Absolutely," Parker said last year at the 2025 Paris air show. Parker affirmed that stance in a recent interview with FlightGlobal. He also describes the F-47 contract as a “generational windfall” for Boeing while declining to give specific progress updates on the secretive programme. "What I will tell you is that it's going very well,” Parker says. “We'll let our actions speak more so than words." The US Air Force has suggested it will field at least 185 F-47s, which will have an unrefuelled combat radius of 1,000nm (1,850km), a top speed of Mach 2 and the ability to team with the new category of uncrewed fighters currently in development, including the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems FQ-42 and Anduril Industries FQ-44. Boeing is separately set to benefit from a large increase to the USAF’s planned buy of F-15EX fighters. The latest fiscal year 2027 Pentagon budget request would increase that fleet size as high as 268 jets, elevating Boeing to full-rate production of 24 F-15EXs annually by 2028-2029. Israel also aims to operate a total of 50 F-15IAs , an Israel-specific variant of the F-15EX.
South Korea orders two Global 6500 jets for electronic warfare missions
Seoul will purchase two of the long-range Bombardier jets, in addition to the four examples already on order as airborne early warning and control assets. South Korea has formalised an agreement with Canadian airframer Bombardier to purchase two Global 6500 business jets, which will be converted into military electronic warfare (EW) aircraft. Bombardier confirmed the deal on 14 July, saying an agreement was formally signed in Seoul. The Canadian manufacturer partnered with Korean Air and Korean defence contractor LIG Defense & Aerospace on the proposal, beating out a rival bid from Korea Aerospace Industries and Hanwha Systems. Prime contractor LIG secured the competitive win from Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration in December, with the deal valued at more than $1.1 billion. The two EW-roled Global 6500s are separate from another South Korean military programme that will see American defence contractor L3Harris convert four of the same Bombardier business jets into airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms. Powered by twin Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engines, the Global 6500 has emerged as a popular choice for militaries around the world seeking to field special mission aircraft without taking on the high cost of developing and certifying an entirely new design. The US Army’s contractor-owned ATHENA-R/S long-range surveillance assets are also based on the Global 6500 platform. Source: US Army The US had fielded a number of long-range surveillance aircraft based on the Global 6500, while AEW&C offerings from both L3Harris and Swedish manufacturer Saab are derived from the Bombardier business jet. "The Global 6500 aircraft is in demand around the world because of its performance and versatility," says Michael Anckner, vice-president for worldwide sales at Bombardier Defense. "This aircraft is trusted because of its proven military track record, yet it remains highly adaptable as defence needs evolve.” South Korea will use the two EW-configured aircraft to fill the Stand-Off Jammer (SOJ) mission, which enables the disruption of enemy electromagnetic signals while remaining safely removed from air and ground threats. Korean Air will purchase the two Global 6500s from Bombardier, with LIG handling mission systems integration and delivery. The two EW aircraft are expected to enter service by 2034. LIG also provides the integrated EW suite for South Korea’s indigenously developed KAI KF-21 fighter.
Sully Sullenberger, hero of Hudson River landing, announces early-stage Alzheimer's diagnosis
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