Boeing delivered 475 commercial aircraft in the first nine months of 2026, up 8% year on year, figures released on October 13 show. The pace puts the manufacturer within reach of beating its 2025 total of 600 aircraft — but only if it hands over another 126 jets in the fourth quarter.

The gap with Airbus has not closed. Airbus delivered 547 aircraft through September, 72 more than Boeing, with both manufacturers growing output by roughly 8% over the same period of 2025.

What does the 737 drive?

The single-aisle line did nearly all the work. Boeing delivered 367 737s through September, up from 330 a year earlier. The widebody picture was flat or worse:

• 787: 62 deliveries, against 61 a year earlier
• 777: 20 deliveries, down from 29
• 767: 26 deliveries, up from 20

Third-quarter output barely moved: 161 aircraft versus 160 in the third quarter of 2025. That quarterly total comprised 124 737s, 22 787s, 10 767s and five 777s. September itself brought 57 deliveries, up from 51 in August and 55 in September 2025 — the strongest month of Boeing's year so far.

The mix tells the real story. Boeing's recovery remains a 737 recovery. The 777 line is going backward, and the 787 is treading water. That limits which airlines can take jets and which cannot.

Orders: Turkish Airlines anchors a strong September

Boeing booked 165 orders in September, its best month for new sales. Turkish Airlines accounted for the bulk with a firm order for 100 737 MAX jets. The rest of the month's business included:

• 20 737 MAX for Lufthansa
• Six 737 MAX and five 787s for Biman Bangladesh Airlines
• Eight 777-8 Freighters and two 777 Freighters for Ethiopian Airlines

The order race still belongs to Airbus. The European manufacturer recorded 1,174 gross orders through September, or 1,105 after cancellations. Boeing booked 618 net orders over the same period, according to Dow Jones.

Boeing's backlog stood at 6,371 aircraft at the end of September, up from 6,156 a month earlier, Reuters reported. Demand is not the constraint. Production is.

What about the 47-per-month target?

CEO Kelly Ortberg said in September that getting 737 output consistently to 47 aircraft a month had taken longer than expected. That admission matters more than the delivery arithmetic. Boeing's commercial recovery depends on stabilizing rate, not on banner order months.

The numbers support his caution. A 367-jet 737 total over nine months works out to roughly 41 per month on average, with September's total-aircraft figure of 57 suggesting the factory is close but not consistently there. A backlog of 6,371 aircraft at current output represents more than a decade of production. Every month below target pushes revenue and airline capacity plans further right.

One caveat: Boeing says the delivery figures remain preliminary until it reports third-quarter financial results on October 27, 2026. Recent months have seen post-facto revisions.

What does this change for airlines? Not much yet. Carriers waiting on 777s and 787s face longer queues, while 737 customers see steady if unspectacular progress. Boeing needs a fourth quarter well above its 161-aircraft third-quarter rate to beat 600 deliveries for the year — achievable on paper, unproven on the factory floor.