The aviation world is obsessed with numbers, but let's be honest, the spreadsheet version of 787 orders and deliveries is usually pretty dry. You see a big number like 1,900 orders and think, "Wow, Boeing is killing it." Then you look at the delivery delays and the FAA audits and the "quality stand-downs," and suddenly that number feels a lot more fragile. It’s a weird tension. On one hand, the Dreamliner is arguably the most successful widebody ever built in terms of sales velocity. On the other hand, getting those planes out of the North Charleston hangar and into the hands of United or Qatar Airways has been a logistical nightmare for the better part of five years.
Boeing isn't just fighting Airbus anymore; they’re fighting their own shadow.
The Backlog is Huge, but is it Real?
When we talk about the current state of 787 orders and deliveries, we have to talk about the "accounting" backlog versus the "actual" backlog. As of early 2026, Boeing’s official tally for the 787 program has crossed that massive 1,900-order threshold. That sounds invincible. But if you look closer at the ASC 606 adjustments—that’s the boring accounting rule that forces Boeing to remove orders that are "unlikely to be fulfilled"—the picture gets muddier. Airlines like Bamboo Airways or various defunct Russian carriers have had their names scrubbed from the active list.
Airlines keep ordering the plane because there isn't really a perfect alternative for certain routes. The 787-9 is the "sweet spot." It’s big enough to carry 290 people but efficient enough to fly from Seattle to Christchurch without breaking the bank. That’s why United Airlines dropped that massive order for 100 Dreamliners (with options for 100 more) back in late 2022. They need to replace aging 767s. They don't have a choice. If you want a mid-size widebody that doesn't guzzle fuel like a 1970s muscle car, you’re either buying a 787 or waiting a decade for an Airbus A350 delivery slot.
Why Deliveries Keep Stuttering
Delivery rates are the heartbeat of Boeing’s cash flow. When a plane is delivered, Boeing gets the big final check. When it sits on the tarmac in South Carolina? Boeing bleeds money. In 2024 and 2025, the delivery pace was... let's call it "uneven."
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The FAA has been hovering over the 787 production line like a nervous parent. After the 2021-2022 delivery halt—which lasted nearly 15 months because of tiny gaps in the fuselage joins—Boeing had to reinvent its quality control process. They found that the "shims" used to fill gaps in the carbon-fiber sections weren't exactly right. We’re talking about gaps thinner than a human hair. To you and me, that sounds like nothing. To a pressurized tube flying at 40,000 feet, it’s a structural integrity risk.
Right now, Boeing is trying to get back to a "rate of 10." That means finishing 10 Dreamliners a month. Honestly, they’ve struggled to stay at 5 or 6 consistently. Supply chain issues are the primary culprit. It isn't just about Boeing; it's about the guy in a small factory in Ohio who makes the specialized fasteners, or the Spirit AeroSystems team building the forward fuselage. If one seat manufacturer in Europe is late with the business class pods, the whole multi-million dollar airplane just sits there, unfinished.
The 787-10 vs. The A350-900
You’ve probably noticed the 787-10 popping up more often on transatlantic routes. This is the "stretched" version. It carries the most people but has the shortest range. For a long time, the -10 was the underdog of the family. However, as fuel prices remain volatile, the seat-mile costs of the 787-10 have become too good for airlines like British Airways or KLM to ignore.
The A350-900 is its biggest rival. The Airbus is a "cleaner" design in some ways—it uses more traditional (though still advanced) materials in certain areas and hasn't faced the same level of FAA scrutiny recently. But the 787 orders and deliveries data shows that Boeing still wins on volume. Why? Because the Dreamliner family offers three sizes (-8, -9, -10), whereas the A350 really only has two successful variants. Airlines love "commonality." If your pilots can fly the small one and the big one with the same license, you save millions in training.
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What the Numbers Don't Tell You
The backlog isn't just a list of names; it’s a liability. Every time a delivery is delayed, Boeing usually has to pay "liquidated damages" to the airline. Imagine ordering a car and being told it'll be six months late. You’d want a discount, right? Now imagine that car costs $250 million.
- Inventory overhang: There is still a "pool" of 787s built years ago that haven't been delivered because they need rework.
- Geopolitics: China was a massive buyer of the 787. Then trade wars happened. Then the MAX grounding happened. While China has started taking some deliveries again, the "spigot" isn't fully open.
- The Engine Choice: Unlike the A350, which only uses Rolls-Royce, 787 customers choose between GEnx (General Electric) and Trent 1000 (Rolls-Royce). Most are choosing GE lately because the Trent 1000 had some well-publicized durability issues with turbine blades.
The Reality of the "Composite" Promise
When the 787 was first pitched in the early 2000s, it was sold as the "plastic airplane." Carbon fiber reinforced polymer. It doesn't rust. It allows for higher humidity in the cabin, so you don't feel like a piece of beef jerky after a 12-hour flight. It allows for those huge windows that dim electronically.
But we are now seeing the long-term reality of maintaining these composite fleets. Repairs aren't as simple as "patch and rivet" like an old 747. If a catering truck dings a 787 fuselage, it might need an ultrasonic scan to check for internal delamination. This complexity is baked into the 787 orders and deliveries cycle—airlines are buying into a high-tech ecosystem that is brilliant when it works but finicky when it doesn't.
Future Outlook and Actionable Steps
If you’re tracking Boeing’s recovery, the 787 is the most important metric to watch. Forget the 737 MAX for a second—the 787 is the profit engine. It has higher margins. It represents the "premium" side of the business.
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The path forward for Boeing involves stabilizing the North Charleston plant. They closed the Everett 787 line to consolidate everything in South Carolina. It was a controversial move. Some say they lost the veteran "tribal knowledge" of the Seattle mechanics. Others say a single line is more efficient. The data over the next 18 months will prove who was right.
What to watch for as a stakeholder or enthusiast:
- The "Rate 10" Milestone: Watch Boeing’s quarterly earnings. If they aren't hitting 10 deliveries a month by late 2026, the backlog is going to start decaying as airlines lose patience.
- Widebody Replacement Cycles: Keep an eye on the aging 777-200 and A330 fleets at major carriers. Those are the prime candidates for 787 conversions.
- Regulatory Clearance: Any "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (NPRM) from the FAA regarding 787 fuselage inspections can instantly freeze deliveries. No news is good news here.
- Secondary Market Value: As the first 787s hit the 15-year mark, look at their resale value. If they hold value, it confirms the composite hull's longevity, which will drive even more new orders.
The 787 isn't just an airplane; it's a massive, flying bet on the future of point-to-point travel. It has survived a battery fire crisis, a global pandemic, and a total production halt. Despite all that, the 787 orders and deliveries remain the benchmark for the industry. The demand is there. Now Boeing just has to prove they can actually build them without the drama.