Boeing is continuing to express optimism about its business as the company wraps up the year and looks at 2026.
Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave said Tuesday at a UBS conference that the company expects deliveries of both its 737 and 787 jets to be up next year.
“When you now fast forward to 2026, we’re going to be increasing our deliveries,” Malave said.
Boeing’s stock rose more than 8% in midday trading Tuesday after Malave’s comments.
He added that he expects the certification for the 737-10 aircraft, which is years behind schedule, to come later in 2026.
The bolstered deliveries will be “a big driver” of cash flow as well, Malave said, with positive free cash flow expected to be in the billions in the “low single digits.” Boeing hasn’t turned an annual profit since 2018.
Malave also said the company expects that cash margins will get a “pretty significant boost” through 2030 due to the higher productivity.
Boeing has been experiencing an upward trend after a period of increased scrutiny following the blowout of a door plug on a flight in January 2024. In July, CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company was beginning to see changes in its business, including slashing its quarterly losses.
Boeing saw a strong delivery pace in October, putting it on track for its highest annual delivery total since 2018. The company said its jetliner deliveries drove it back into cash-positive territory for the first time in nearly two years in October.
Those deliveries follow a lifting of restrictions by the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing the company to sign off on some of its 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner planes before they reach customers.
Source: www.cnbc.com
Africa’s air fleet will more than double by 2044, says Boeing
Africa’s commercial airplane fleet will more than double to 1,680 over the next two decades to accomodate a rise in air travel across the continent, according to predictions by US aerospace manufacturing giant Boeing.
The firm’s 2025 Commercial Market Outlook predicts that passenger air traffic on the continent will average 6% annual growth through 2044 – compared to a global increase of 3.1% – “driven by a young population, growing middle class, rapid urbanisation and airport and connectivity investments.”
Low-cost airlines to capitalise on more routes
Of Africa’s expanded fleet, 1,205 are expected to be new aircraft deliveries – comprising 856 single-aisle jets, 240 widebody jets, 90 regional jets and 10 freighter jets.
Boeing says single-aisle airplanes, which account for 70% of the new aircraft, will expand in order to service the expected growth of domestic and short-haul international networks in Africa. Boeing predicts that low-cost carriers will capitalise on more routes throughout the continent and into the Middle East and Africa.
Demand for widebody airplanes, meanwhile, will be fuelled by airline plans to modernise their fleets and expand long-haul international routes.
Service ecosystem grows
As carriers grow their fleets and expand route networks, there will be more demand for broader ecosystem investment and the need for new aviation personnel with 74,000 pilots, technicians and cabin crew projected over the next 20 years. That includes 23,000 pilots, 24,000 technicians and 27,000 cabin crew.
Services demand to support fleet growth and operational resilience is valued at approximately $130bn over the period.
“Aviation is a catalyst for Africa’s economic expansion and intra-continental connection, building on industry growth we’ve seen across the region over the last 20 years,” said Shahab Matin, Boeing managing director of commercial marketing, Middle East and Africa.
“More efficient, versatile airplanes – paired with investments and strategies to make air travel more accessible to more Africans – will unlock further growth opportunities for the region’s airlines and hubs.”
Globally, Boeing expects 42,600 new aircraft deliveries by 2044 and total traffic growth of 4.2% a year.
Source: www.african.business
Boeing Lands $7B+ Pentagon Orders for Apache Helicopters, Pegasus Tankers
The US Department of Defense has awarded Boeing more than $7 billion in contracts to build AH-64E Apache helicopters for the US Army and additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft for the US Air Force.
This announcement follows Washington’s separate agreements with the aerospace company for MH‑47Gs for the US Special Operations Command, CH-47F Chinooks for the army, and support services for airframes sold to allied military forces via foreign military sales.
Apache Package for Army
The US Army’s portion is a $4.6-billion firm-fixed-price contract covering new-build AH-64E Apaches, crew trainers for the rotorcraft’s training variant Longbow, and related parts and support.
Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, through May 2032, with about $2.2 billion funded through foreign military sales to Poland, Egypt, and Kuwait.
This award will extend the Apache production line beyond its earlier 2028 timeline.
The AH-64E, the latest version of the long-running attack helicopter platform, has accumulated more than five million flight hours since entering service in the 1980s.
The model uses an open architecture system that allows flexible updates to sensors, weapons, and software to keep pace with modern threats.
More Pegasus Tankers for Air Force
Boeing also received a $2.4-billion contract modification from the US Air Force for the next production lot of KC-46A refueling tankers.
The package includes 15 aircraft and associated mobility data system licenses. Work will be performed in Seattle and is scheduled to finish by June 2029, bringing total KC-46 orders worldwide to 183.
The KC-46, based on the Boeing 767 airframe, is central to replacing the air force’s aging KC-135 Stratotankers first introduced during the Eisenhower era.
Despite facing recurring design issues, particularly with its camera-based Remote Vision System and refueling boom, the service continues to procure new tankers to avert any production gaps as its broader modernization plans proceed.
McGhee Tyson Base Selected for KC-46A Fleet
Prior to the contract, the US Air Force identified the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Knoxville, Tennessee, as its preferred location for the next KC-46A main operating base.
The service first named the installation in September 2024 as one of seven candidate sites to house the new fleet.
Its supervising command, the 134th Air Refueling Wing, has already made major facility upgrades to support the transition, including a new 10,000-foot (3,048-meter) runway costing $134 million and a $32.4 million maintenance hangar built specifically for KC-46 operations.
“The KC-46’s advanced capabilities, increased reliability, and enhanced operational reach make us better able to meet this critical moment and the demands of tomorrow,” said Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director of the Air National Guard. “The 134th ARW is a great fit for this responsibility.”
Source: www.thedefensepost.com
Aleksei Andrievskii is the founder of the ANDRIEVSKII SEA WEALTH family office in Cyprus, a member of the advisory board at Bendura Bank AG, Liechtenstein