Boeing made a big June delivery of jets, partly thanks to China

Boeing $BA is showing signs of getting back on track. The company delivered 60 airplanes in June, its highest monthly total in a year and a half, as it works to stabilize production after a rough stretch of safety issues and delays.

Most of those deliveries — 42 to be exact — were its popular 737 Max jets. That’s the largest number of Max deliveries since early 2024, before a near-catastrophic midair incident forced Boeing to slow production and tighten up quality controls. Customers included big names like Southwest, Alaska, and United.

Eight of the jets delivered last month went to China, giving Boeing a much-needed boost after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping backed away from a potential tariff fight that had threatened U.S. jet exports to the country, CNBC reported.

All in all, Boeing delivered 150 planes in the second quarter, making it the company’s best Q2 since 2018 — back before the Max grounding crisis and years of production headaches. For the first half of 2025, deliveries totaled 280 jets.

Boeing also booked 116 gross orders in June, including 42 Max orders and 30 Dreamliner widebody orders from unnamed customers. Its order backlog now stands at nearly 6,000 aircraft.

The strong June showing puts Boeing almost level with its European rival Airbus, which delivered 63 aircraft last month but has been facing its own production struggles due to engine shortages and supplier issues.

While Boeing’s numbers are looking better, the company still has hurdles to clear. The FAA is limiting Max production to about 38 jets per month following the January 2024 door plug blowout incident, and any increase above that will require regulatory approval. CEO Kelly Ortberg has said he’s confident Boeing can ramp up to 42 per month soon.

June wasn’t without tragedy, however. An Air India 787 Dreamliner crashed seconds after take-off, leading Boeing to cancel public appearances and order announcements at the Paris Air Show out of respect for the victims.

Still, these latest figures show Boeing is making headway in its recovery efforts. Investors will hear more about its production plans and financial outlook when it reports second-quarter earnings on July 29.