Boeing must turn its fortunes around this year to avoid falling further behind Airbus, which plans a production increase as it fixes its supply chain.

Boeing delivered less than half the number of commercial aircraft to customers than its European rival in 2024, The American aerospace giant reported on Tuesday that it supplied 348 jetliners during the year.

Boeing handed over 348 airplanes in 2024, about a third fewer than it did a year earlier as the aerospace giant struggled with a crisis after a midair door panel blowout a year ago and a machinist strike in the fall that halted production.

Deliveries of new Boeing jets bounced back in December after a crippling labor strike that slowed production last fall, but the company's annual deliveries dropped in 2024 to the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boeing Co. delivered the fewest jets last year since the pandemic as the planemaker worked to restore confidence in its manufacturing after a turbulent year that included a two-month long strike and production curbs following a near-catastrophe.