Boeing said Thursday that orders for its commercial airplanes in 2011 jumped sharply from the previous year, while aircraft deliveries improved moderately. Net commercial aircraft orders totalled 805, compared with 530 in 2010, the US aerospace giant said. The jump was "fuelled by a late flurry of record-breaking deals," Boeing said in a statement.
Boeing said its wide-body 777 plane once again led its twin-aisle programs by setting a new record for orders in a single year at 200. The launch of the 737 MAX, an upgraded version of its popular 737 airplane powered by a more fuel-efficient engine, spurred "historic deals" that resulted in more than 1,000 orders and commitments to date from 15 customers, it said. Boeing said it delivered 477 planes and ended the year with a robust order book of 3,771 aircraft. In 2010 the Chicago firm delivered 462 planes.