It took 11 months, but Boeing Co. recorded the year’s first official orders for the 737 Max.
The planemaker booked orders for 30 of the grounded aircraft in November, following a pair of agreements that had been announced at the Dubai Airshow. After cancellations and conversions, Max orders remain underwater for the year, though increased to minus 73 from minus 93 the previous month, according to Boeing’s website Tuesday.
The total buoys Boeing as it works to regain confidence in its top-selling model and return the Max to service amid a global grounding that began in March. The crisis has engulfed the Chicago-based manufacturer, which has had to contend with bruising headlines, wary customers and demanding lawmakers after a pair of crashes killed 346 people.
The shares fell less than one to US$349.19 at 11:54 a.m. in New York. Boeing rose 8.9 per cent this year through Monday, trailing the 25 per cent gain in the S&P 500.
The Max orders in November include 10 of the narrow-body jet to Turkey’s SunExpress and 20 planes for an unidentified customer. The firm deals are the first of the year for the Max, although Boeing had logged several others that had been converted from other models.
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