Boeing Delivers 121 Planes In First Quarter

Boeing delivered 121 commercial planes in the first quarter of 2009, up from 115 a year earlier, the company said on Thursday, indicating Boeing is on track to reach its target for deliveries in 2009.

The company said 91 of its deliveries were of its 737 Next Generation. Boeing said in February that it was targeting 480-485 deliveries in 2009.

Boeing, which is struggling to recover from a two-month strike by its assembly workers last year, predicted a further dip in plane orders this year after handing back the title of biggest-selling plane maker to rival Airbus last year.

The company also said on Thursday that it received orders for five 737 aircraft in the week ended March 31.

The company has received 28 orders and 32 cancellations so far this year as the weak economy battered the company. Last year Boeing booked 662 new orders. The year before it hit an industry record of 1,413 orders.

Boeing did not identify the buyers of the five 737s.