Boeing’s May deliveries rise 33% as 737 Max wiring work lifts handovers

Boeing said it delivered 60 commercial airplanes in May, a 33% increase from the prior month, according to the latest reporting cited by Quartz. The month’s total trailed Airbus’s 81 deliveries, but it marked a meaningful rebound for Boeing’s output pace heading into the second quarter.

The figures include what the report described as a post-strike high of 51 Boeing 737 Max jets in May. The 737 Max remains Boeing’s biggest commercial single-aisle program by delivery volume, and delivery counts are closely watched by investors because they are one of the clearest indicates of how quickly production issues are being cleared.

The improved delivery mix was linked to corrective work on a wiring problem affecting 737 Max aircraft, Quartz reported. In broad terms, wiring fixes in modern aircraft can require rework across production and quality steps, which can slow handovers even when the manufacturing line is still producing airframes.

While the report highlights the 737 Max’s strongest monthly number since the strike period referenced in the story, it does not provide additional operational detail on timing, the specific wiring component, or how much rework has been completed across the production pipeline. Boeing also did not, in the material cited, lay out a detailed schedule for when the wiring fix would fully stabilize deliveries.

Boeing’s commercial delivery performance matters to the company’s financial trajectory because aircraft handed over to airlines translate into revenue recognition and reduce the stock of undelivered backlog backlog tied to specific models. Slower handovers can also increase the strain on cash flow, particularly when production costs continue while aircraft wait for final corrections and inspections.

Separately, the May comparison to Airbus underscores the competitive pressure in the narrowbody market. Airbus has generally maintained a higher delivery count in recent periods as it ramps output, while Boeing has worked to rebuild manufacturing stability after disruptions to the 737 Max program.

The company’s disclosures in the cited update remain limited. The Quartz report discusses the delivery totals and ties the change to a 737 Max wiring fix, but it does not specify whether Boeing’s 60 May deliveries reflect any changes in production output, supplier lead times, inspection throughput, or labor availability beyond the wiring remediation.

Going forward, market participants will likely watch whether Boeing can sustain delivery momentum in the second half of 2026, and whether the 737 Max wiring fix continues to translate into fewer hold points at the end of the production and quality process.

If subsequent monthly totals show the 737 Max handovers staying near the May peak, it would suggest the corrective work is progressing from a patch-and-rework stage toward a fully normalized production flow. If numbers slip again, it would announcement that residual rework, quality screening, or certification-related constraints are still constraining handovers.