Boeing deliveries hit target but orders fail to match up in 2016
Boeing has announced it hit its delivery target of new planes in 2016, but new orders for the aircraft manufacturer failed to match up.
748 planes were delivered in 2016, according to the American aircraft manufacturer, compared to 762 airplanes delivered the year before.
Boeing had previously said it would receive orders for new aircraft at the same rate as deliveries, but only managed 668 net orders in 2016, down from 768 in 2015.
Read more: Delta ditches order for 18 Boeing Dreamliner 787s
The most popular of Boeing’s fleet was the 737, a medium-range airliner which dominated new order numbers
The figures come after Delta Airlines terminated an order for 18 787 Dreamliner planes at the end of December.
Analysts watch orders closely to gauge future earnings when customers take delivery. The company, which is tracked on the Dow Jones Industrial Average of the biggest US firms, enjoyed a strong 2016.
It traded at lows of $102.10 per share in February, but has since risen to trade well above $150 per share.
VietJet Air, a budget airline based in Vietnam, was the biggest customer to be identified by Boeing, ordering 100 new aircraft in 2016. GE Capital Aviation Services, which leases aircraft and engines to airlines, placed the second most orders, at 75.
United Airlines and Qatar Airways were other notable customers identified in the report.
US President-elect Donald Trump also dented confidence in Boeing on Twitter, saying he thought the costs were "ridiculous" for a new Air Force One presidential plane.