Boeing has record airplane deliveries, sharp order decline

Boeing Co. delivered 762 commercial airplanes in 2015, or 39 more than the previous year, and received 768 net orders, down from 1,432 in the previous year.

While the U.S. aerospace giant hailed the deliveries as "most ever for the company as it enters its centennial year," the net orders were down 46 percent on an annual basis, presumably as an indication of sales slowdown.

However, analysts believe Boeing is almost certain to beat its European competitor and retain the title as the world's No. 1 commercial aircraft manufacturer.

The 768 net orders in 2015 were valued at 112.4 U.S. billion dollars at current list prices, Boeing said in a statement from Seattle, Washington state, in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

At year end, it held 5,795 unfilled orders from customers worldwide, enough for the company to work on for years.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Conner said: "We had a solid year of orders in 2015, maintaining a strong, balanced backlog that will help ensure a steady stream of deliveries for years to come."

Despite the sharp drop of orders, Randy Tinseth, vice president in charge of marketing with Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said "global passenger traffic in most key regions is increasing" as Boeing's customers "continue to perform well in the marketplace."

Of all commercial airplanes delivered in 2015, 495 were single-aisle 737s, 135 were 787 Dreamliners, 98 were large wide-body 777s, 18 were jumbo 747s and 16 were mid-size wide-body 767s. Most of the planes were assembled at Beoing's Puget Sound-area factories near Seattle. Endit