Boeing delivered 27 planes in October, airlines still waiting on new Dreamliners

Boeing said Tuesday that it delivered 27 planes to customers last month, but deliveries of its 787 Dreamliners remain suspended, just as airlines are gearing up for a revival in international travel.

The U.S. on Monday lifted a pandemic travel ban on visitors from 33 countries and airline executives have said bookings for international trips have jumped. Deliveries of wide-body jets, which are often used for international flights, have been suspended for much of the past year after Boeing disclosed a series of manufacturing flaws and took extra time to inspect its jets.

American Airlines and United Airlines are among the carriers with outstanding orders of the Dreamliner. Both carriers are aiming to expand international flying next year, eager to make up for lost ground from two years of weak demand for foreign travel due to the pandemic and a host of travel restrictions.

American Airlines chief revenue officer Vasu Raja said the deliveries of the Dreamliner will set the pace of its international expansion.

“It’s a pretty meaningful impact to how fast we can build back internationally,” Raja told CNBC.

Among Boeing’s 27 deliveries last month were 18 737 Maxes, one 747 freighter, one 767 freighter and two 777 freighters. Cargo jets and air freight capacity have been in high demand during the pandemic amid supply chain issues and a loss of belly capacity from other passenger planes.

The manufacturer posted net orders of seven planes, including eight Maxes and two 777 freighters. It also logged three cancellations, including two 787-10s for Air Lease.

Leslie Josephs  www.cnbc.com