Boeing posted a huge year in 2017, delivering a record number of commercial airplanes. The aerospace giant delivered 763 planes, one more than its previous high set in 2015.
The company said it booked orders for 912 commercial airplanes, the seventh highest annual total for the company. Those orders pushed Boeing's backlog at the end of 2017 to 5,864 commercial airplanes, an all-time high. The backlog of orders totals seven years' worth of production.
Boeing's deliveries met the company's guidance of delivering 760-765 commercial airplanes for the year. The company says it also means a sixth straight year where Boeing will deliver more planes than its rival Airbus. The European Aerospace company is expected to announce its year-end delivery and order numbers next week.
Deliveries and orders for Boeing's single-aisle 737 jet — its most popular plane — continued to grow, as it rolls out its more fuel-efficient MAX models, whose customers include American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Boeing logged net orders for 745 of its 737 jets last year, up from 550 a year earlier.
Fading, however, is the Boeing 747, which U.S. airlines have retired from their fleets in recent months in favor of sleeker, more fuel-efficient models. Boeing said it had 12 unfilled orders for 747s, down from 28 a year earlier. While airlines are phasing it out of their fleets, it is still used to carry cargo.
Boeing shares were recently trading around 1.6 percent higher on the day, rising after Boeing's report.
