Boeing's civilian airliner sales increased in 2022

Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Boeing commercial aircraft sales increased in 2022, after plummeting in the wake of two 737 Max jet crashes caused by software malfunctions.

The crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019, were found to be the result of a software glitch that caused the 737 Max aircraft to automatically enter a dive.

The 737 Max jet was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and December 2020.

In 2020, cancellations outpaced orders for Boeing's civilian airlines, raising concerns about the future of the company's non-military products. In November 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration ended the 737 Max's 20-month grounding.

The FAA also gave Boeing the green light to resume sales of 787 airliners in August, after it halted deliveries in May 2021, over concerns that inspection techniques were insufficient.

Sales increased at the end of the year, with Boeing delivering 69 aircraft in December.

In total, Boeing delivered 479 civilian airplanes in 2022, and received 774 net new orders when cancellations are taken into account.

Despite increased sales, Boeing's main competitor, Airbus, remained the world's biggest distributor of civilian airlines in 2022, with 663 jets sold.

Last year Boeing agreed to pay $200 million to settle a claims they had mislead investors about the safety of the 737 Max. Former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg agreed to pay $1 million.