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US top aircraft manufacturer Boeing Company said Tuesday it delivered 24 737 commercial airplanes in the second quarter of 2019, a drastic fall of about 73 per cent from the previous quarter.
The significant decline of 737 jets in the second quarter indicated Boeing is reeling from the impact of two deadly air crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in October 2018 and March 2019, respectively. Boeing delivered 89 737 airplanes in the first quarter, the Xinhua news agency reported.
The 737 MAX aircraft have been grounded globally since March this year after two 737 jets fell down in Indonesia last October and Ethiopia in March 2019, and the two incidents killed a total of 346 people aboard.
Boeing has since been working desperately to rebuild reputation and trust from aviation regulators and the general public, who have expressed concerns about the safety of the aircraft.
The US top aircraft maker cut monthly production of 737 MAX aircraft to 42 from a previously scheduled rate of 52 in April this year.
Boeing reported no new orders for 737 MAX for the month of March. The Boeing announcement on Tuesday of its second-quarter deliveries of both commercial and military airplanes came one day after Saudi Arabian budget carrier Flyadeal cancelled a preliminary agreement for an order of up to 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets.
The Saudi airline said it will switch to an all-Airbus fleet in the future. It is already operating 11 A320 jets on domestic destinations across the kingdom.
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