In another month of disappointing sales, Boeing received just four new plane orders in May, with none for its best-selling 737 Max for the second consecutive month. The sluggish figures come in stark contrast to rival Airbus, which reported net orders for 15 planes during the same period, albeit with 12 cancellations.

The downward trend for Boeing continued as it also faced a cancellation from Aerolineas Argentinas for a single Max jet, resulting in a net sales figure of a mere three planes for the month. As a consequence, shares of The Boeing Co. fell by 3% in afternoon trading.

These lackluster results follow similarly disappointing statistics in April, where Boeing only reported seven sales, none of which were for the Max aircraft. However, with the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow on the horizon, Boeing remains hopeful that the slow pace of orders is merely a temporary lull before potential announcements during the event.

Unfortunately, Boeing faces multiple challenges that have impacted its sales performance. The company's production of 737s is being capped by the Federal Aviation Administration due to safety concerns, following incidents such as a blown out door plug on an Alaska Airlines Max in January. Additionally, allegations from whistleblowers accusing Boeing of taking shortcuts to expedite production and reports of falsified inspection records on certain 787 Dreamliner jets have created further headwinds for the manufacturer.

Despite these setbacks, Boeing, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, managed to deliver 24 jetliners in May, including 19 Max jets. Ryanair of Ireland received four of these planes, while Alaska Airlines took delivery of three. In contrast, Airbus reported delivering 53 planes during the same period, underscoring the competitive disadvantage faced by Boeing.

While recent sales figures may be lackluster, it is important to note that Boeing still maintains an extensive backlog of over 5,600 orders.