Boeing More Than Doubles Its Output

Boeing Co. said that it delivered 167 commercial jets in its second quarter, more than double its output in its first quarter when the aerospace giant suffered through a 40-day engineers strike. Boeing’s midyear total of 242 deliveries put the company back on track to reach its projected 2000 output of 490 jets, capping a drive to repair the strike damage. The 167 second-quarter deliveries included 102 of Boeing’s best-selling 737 narrow-bodies, plus 18 narrow-body 757s, 13 wide-body 767s and 17 wide-body 777s. Shares of Seattle-based Boeing rose $1.31 to $44.31 on the NYSE, their highest level since Feb. 3, when the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace rejected a Boeing contract, triggering a walkout by 18,000 workers. The rapid production recovery underscored the strength of Boeing’s assembly lines even as it continues to cut jobs and dispose of non-core businesses, Wall Street analysts said.