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SEATTLE, March 10 (Reuters) - Boeing said on Monday it delivered 51 jets in February, an increase from 46 in January and the U.S. planemaker's highest total for February since 2018, despite ongoing challenges with premium class seats for 787s.
Its deliveries far outpaced its European rival Airbus. Deliveries are closely tracked by investors as planemakers collect the majority of their payment when they hand over jets to customers. Boeing has lagged Airbus in deliveries every year since 2018.
* Boeing delivered 43 single-aisle 737 MAX jets, including ajet for Chinese carrier Shenzhen Airlines. * That was the last one of hundreds of 737s that requiredchanges after two MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 revealed problemswith the aircraft's autonomous flight control systems. * Boeing also delivered eight widebody jets: three 787Dreamliners, two 777 freighters and three 767s - two freightersand one to be converted into a military aerial refueling tanker. * Dreamliner deliveries were far below the company's target787 production rate of eight jets per month, hampered by delaysto high-end seats for first and business class. * Lufthansa received one 787. It is still waiting on 13Dreamliners, currently parked at Boeing facilities around thecountry, according to flight records. Boeing declined tocomment. * Airbus delivered 33 single-aisle jets - eight A220s, fourA320neos and 21 A321neos - and two widebody A350s. * Boeing received 21 new orders last month - sevensingle-aisle 737 MAX jets, eight widebody 787s and six 767s.Five of the 787 orders came from Kazakhstan flag carrier AirAstana. * Canadian airline WestJet ordered two 787s. However, italso cancelled six 737 orders, leaving Boeing with 15 new ordersafter cancellations and conversions. * Airbus booked 28 new orders in February, with nocancellations or conversions. Air Astana ordered 20 A321neos andfive A320neos. Airbus received another two A321neo orders fromTigerair Taiwan and one A320neo order from a private customer. * For the first two months of the year, Boeing has booked118 orders after cancellations and conversions and delivered 97jets. Airbus trails with 38 orders and 54 deliveries.(Reporting
by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Sonali Paul)
