Trump's Middle East visit brings an order windfall for Boeing in May
President Donald Trump turned out to be the man with the magic touch for Boeing, as the American manufacturer reaped a rich reward from his trip to the Middle East, which eventually resulted in the Arlington-headquartered company enjoying its highest monthly order intake in more than a year.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was among corporate leaders accompanying the US President on his trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
During the visit, Qatar Airways signed an agreement for 160 firm orders – 130 787s and 30 777Xs – worth US$96 billion. Two days later, in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways placed a US$14.5 billion order for 28 aircraft – a mix of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 777Xs.
There were also reports that Saudi Arabian sovereign fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF) also booked 30 Boeing 737 MAX jets, for its aircraft leasing company AviLease.
Bloomberg is now reporting that the aircraft manufacturer won total orders for 303 aircraft in May, its largest month since December 2023, according to data on its website. The planemaker also delivered 45 aircraft during the month, including 32 jets from its narrowbody 737 family.
The May tally included a record order for 120 787 Dreamliners and 30 777X jets from Qatar Airways. Boeing also sold 146 737 Max models during the month, with unidentified buyers accounting for 119 of that total, Bloomberg added.
It was an indicator that the company was finally coming out of safety and regulatory concerns that has plagued the aircraft manufacturer since two 737 MAX crashed within the space of five months between October 2018 and March 2019, resulting in the deaths of 346 people.
The spotlight will be on Boeing next week during the Paris Air Show, even though the limelight is mostly hogged by France's Airbus in that 'home' event.
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