Boeing has recorded its highest number of 737 Max deliveries for the year's first three quarters for the second year in a row.

The plane manufacturer delivered 363 Max aircraft from January through the end of September, the company said Tuesday, its highest yearly output for this period since it began delivering the Max in May 2017.

After two deadly 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 led Boeing to slow its pace for building new Max planes, the manufacturer again increased its rate of Max production from 2021 to 2023, reaching 280 Max deliveries in the first nine months of 2023.

Then, a midair panel blowout in January 2024 led the Federal Aviation Administration to cap Boeing's monthly Max production, slowing down Max deliveries again.

Boeing broke its 2023 record last year when it delivered 325 Max aircraft in the first three quarters.

In September, Boeing delivered 43 737 Maxes, up from 41 Maxes in August, 39 in July and 42 in June.

Monthly delivery totals are not a direct reflection of production rates. Not every aircraft that rolls out of the factory is delivered immediately; some have to wait for unfinished tasks or other customer specifications. But the delivery totals can provide a good gauge for how things are going inside Boeing’s factories.

Since the FAA lifted its production cap in October 2025, Boeing increased its monthly Max production rate from 38 to 42. It is now working to stabilize its Max production cadence at 47 planes per month, though CEO Kelly Ortberg said at a financial conference last month that rate increase is taking longer than expected.

Separately, Boeing increased monthly deliveries of its South Carolina-built 787s from four in August to eight in September. It delivered 10 787s in July and 13 in June.

Last month, Boeing also delivered two 777 freighters and four 767s, including three to its defense division.

Its 57 total deliveries this September are nearly in line with its 55 deliveries last September.

Boeing delivered 475 aircraft in the first three quarters of the year, an 8% increase from the same period a year ago.

Airbus, Boeing’s European competitor, continued to outpace its rival with 72 deliveries in September and 547 in the first nine months of the year.

In terms of orders, Boeing last month booked 165 gross orders, including 132 for the 737 Max, 23 for the 787 Dreamliner, two for the 777 freighter and eight for the newest 777-8 freighter that has yet to be certified.

Adjusting for accounting principles, Boeing also moved 107 orders from its reserve to its backlog, which accounts for more firm orders. That brings Boeing's net orders for September to 272.

In the first three quarters of the year, Boeing booked 663 gross orders and saw 45 cancellations or conversions. Factoring in accounting adjustments, the company booked 716 net orders in this period.

Airbus booked 17 gross orders in September but, in the first three quarters of the year, recorded 1,174 gross orders and 1,105 net orders.

Boeing’s commercial backlog increased from 6,156 at the end of August to 6,371 at the end of September.

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