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| Number |
| Testing Complete | 3 |
| To be assembled in Everett | 40 |
| To be assembled in Charleston | 45 |
| Parts Arriving | 6 |
| Undergoing final assembly | 7 |
| Storage | 2 |
| Storage/Change Incorporation and Re-Work | 0 |
| Change Incorporation and Re-Work | 1 |
| Pre-Flight Prep | 12 |
| Production Testing | 2 |
| Non Customer Flight Tests | 0 |
| Ready for Delivery | 0 |
| Donation | 3 |
| Delivered | 781 |
| TOTAL | 902 |
Boeing delivered 145 787s in 2018 as they finished the year with a bang. In December 2018, the company turned over 17 787s to customers 1 shy of their all time monthly high delivery rate which they hit twice since program deliveries began in September 2011. For the month, Boeing delivered 12 787-9 and 5 787-10 including the first test flight aircraft which was refurbished for Singapore Airlines. Other notable deliveries in December include the first 787-9 for Royal Air Maroc.
In 2018 the delivery break down is 10 x 787-8, 120 x 787-9 and 15 x 787-10. Through December 31, 2018 Boeing has delivered 781 787s since program deliveries began in 2011 as follows: 360 x 787-8, 406 x 787-9, and 15 x 787-10. This past year saw the total number of 787-9 deliveries exceed those of the 787-8. Mind you that 787-9 started delivering in June of 2014 and reached it's 361st delivery in August of this year....a span of 4 years while 787-8 took well over 7 years to reach 360 deliveries. This illustrates how popular the 787-9 and the improved efficiencies of 787 production.
At the start of 2018, I projected that Boeing would deliver 147 787s, I was off by two...a 787-9 for Air China and the test 787-10 for United Airlines. United has opted to take delivery of the 787-10 in 2019 but I can only speculate as to the delay in the delivery of Air China's last 787-9 which was expect to take place last spring but has been in storage since it rolled out in March of 2018.
Boeing has maintained a roughly 12/month delivery rate during 2018 though at times deliveries were choppy due to the Roll Royce Trent-1000 issues. The effect of this was to force many deliveries into March (15), June (17), September (18), and December (17)...the end of each quarter at which time Boeing can report healthy delivery numbers thus masking the uneven delivery rates even though production more or less continued at the 12/month rate. Indeed in all but two none quarter ending months, the delivery rate was under 12/month.
Boeing rolled out 139 787s during the past year, just a shade under the 12/month rate. Thus Boeing was able to reduce the number of 787 waiting to be delivered in 2018. This is a key indicator for any issues that may crop up with the production system like the Roll Royce engine issues. With regards to that specific issue, the Trent 1000 problems really didn't have any impact on 787 deliveries last year. The Trent 1000 issues still remain for those aircraft already delivered however. Boeing was fortunate that the production schedule did not have many Trent powered 787 for 2018.
In the coming weeks I'll put out posts addressing 787 orders that were booked in 2018 (as I am still waiting for the final order tally from December) as well as my 2019 production projections. In the meantime you can check on the latest production and delivery information by clicking on the link below. Happy New Year everyone!
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