Boeing falls behind Airbus with 477 deliveries in 2011

EVERETT -- The Boeing Co. came up short on deliveries of 787 and 747-8 jets last year, missing its 2011 goal by three deliveries, the company said Thursday.

Boeing handed over 477 aircraft in 2011, thanks to a 10 percent increase in fourth-quarter jet deliveries as compared to 2010. But Boeing will fall well behind rival Airbus in airplane deliveries in 2011. Airbus, which will release year-end numbers later this month, already had delivered 477 aircraft by the end of November.

"We fell a bit short of our delivery guidance on 787s, but our No. 1 goal this year is to make sure Dreamliner production is stable and reliable as we get those airplanes into the hands of our customers," wrote Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing for Boeing's commercial airplanes division, on his blog Thursday.

Boeing delivered three 787s and nine 747-8s. In October, the Chicago-based company scaled back delivery targets for the year, saying it would deliver only 15 to 20 787s and 747-8s, down from the 25 to 30 it initially planned. That lowered the company's jet delivery target to 480.

Aside from 747s and 787s, Boeing delivered 372 Renton-built 737s, 73 777s and 20 767s, both built in Everett.

Boeing also reported that it booked 805 net orders for the year. In the last week of 2011, Boeing added a last-minute order for 25 787s and an order for two 767s. Both orders were attributed to an undisclosed customer. It's the first year out of the past three that the Boeing 787 finished the year with more new orders than cancellations. There were 13 net orders for the Dreamliner in 2011.

Last year was Boeing's best for orders since before the global recession hit. The company landed 1,413 net orders in 2007.

"This past year was one of the most exciting and important years in Boeing's history," Jim Albaugh, president of the Commercial Airplanes division, said in a statement.

Last August, Boeing launched the re-engined 737 MAX jet. On Thursday, the jetmaker said it has logged 1,000 orders and commitments from 15 customers for it.

"As our current commitments become firm orders and we add even more customers, I have no doubt that 2012 will be the 'Year of the 737 MAX'," Albaugh said.

Boeing booked 200 net orders for the popular Everett-built 777, setting a new record for a year's orders for that aircraft. It also added orders for 42 767s, also built in Everett. That's the most orders the 767 has received in a year since 1997. Boeing is using the 767 as the basis for the Air Force aerial-refueling tanker. The company Wednesday said that it will shift all tanker work to the Puget Sound region as a result of a decision to close its Wichita, Kan., site in 2013.

Boeing's order total of 805 comes in second to Airbus' order tally, which stood at 1,378 net orders at the end of November. Boeing's backlog of unfilled orders was at 3,771 at the end of 2011.

The company will report 2011 earnings on Jan. 25 and will outline 2012 goals then. Boeing's shares closed Thursday at $73.53, down 80 cents for the day.