Boeing records significant drop in deliveries for the first 11 months of 2019

Deliveries totalled 345 aircraft in the eleven months through November, compared to 704 last year

The plane maker continues to struggle with the grounding of its best-selling 737 MAX jets. AP

Boeing delivered less than half as many planes in the first eleven months of 2019 as in the same period a year earlier, the plane maker said on Tuesday, as it continued to struggle with the grounding of its best-selling 737 Max jets.

Deliveries totalled 345 aircraft in the eleven months to November, compared to 704 last year and were also less than half the number delivered by European rival Airbus in the same period.

Customers typically pay over the bulk of the money for a new jetliner on delivery, making it a crucial metric for the world's big two jetliner producers.

The company did see a boost in orders around last month's Dubai air show, bringing the number of orders net of cancellations or conversions this year to 56 at the end of November from 45 a month earlier.

After an accounting adjustment, Boeing's net total for orders this year improved marginally to -84 aeroplanes from -95 a month earlier.

The orders included what Boeing called a "conversion" by China Aircraft Leasing Group of eight Max orders into two 787 Dreamliners.

The company also said it had booked 30 orders for the 737 Max aircraft, including an order for 10 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes from Turkey's SunExpress and another 20 Max planes from another unidentified customer.

Reuters had reported last month that an unnamed airline had signed a firm order for 10 Boeing 737 Max 7 planes and 10 Boeing Max 10s.