Nearly 1,000 Boeing plane orders are lost or in doubt

Boeing Co. is nearing 1,000 scrapped or impaired jetliner orders this year, failing to notch any sales in September, as the long 737 Max grounding and the coronavirus pandemic extended their toll.

The reduction of 983 net plane orders this year has winnowed Boeing’s stockpile by 19%, according to data posted Tuesday on the company’s website. Cancellations accounted for about a third of the lost sales, while the rest were deemed at risk of being junked under a U.S. accounting standard.

The collapse in demand for air travel — and new jetliners –has added pressure on Boeing as the company works to end the Max’s flying ban, which was imposed in March 2019 after two deadly crashes. Deliveries of all models fell to just 28 planes in the third quarter, down from 63 a year earlier, as Boeing also grappled with a spate of production issues that forced additional inspections and repairs for its 787 Dreamliners.