Deliveries of new Boeing jets bounced back in December after a crippling labor strike that slowed production last fall, but the company's annual deliveries dropped in 2024 to the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boeing must turn its fortunes around this year to avoid falling further behind Airbus, which plans a production increase as it fixes its supply chain.

As Boeing has battled large headwinds, its archrival Airbus has expanded its delivery lead. Boeing commercial jet deliveries dropped last year by more than a third compared to 2023, as the aerospace giant wrestled with multiple major challenges.

More than three-quarters of the planes that Boeing furnished were 737 Max jets, a stark reminder of how integral its best-selling airline model has been to the company's fortunes and challenges. View