Boeing delivered a record 806 commercial aircraft in 2018, surpassing its previous record of 763 deliveries in 2017.

The total was six more than Airbus achieved during the year, although its total of 800 deliveries was also a record for the manufacturer.

"Boeing raised the bar again in 2018 thanks to our teammates' incredible focus on meeting customer commitments, and continuously improving quality and productivity," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive Kevin McAllister.

However, despite the record year, Boeing missed its original delivery target, falling short of the 810 to 815 jets it aimed to deliver.

Airbus met its target of 800 commercial aircraft, although this figure had been revised down twice amid production hold ups. The total also included the A220 programme acquired by Airbus in July 2018.

Boeing said it increased production of the 737 in the middle of 2018 to 52 aircraft per month. Nearly half of the year's 580 737 deliveries were from the more fuel-efficient and longer-range MAX family, including the first MAX 9 planes.

On the orders front, Boeing reported 893 net orders valued at $143.7bn according to list prices. The 787 Dreamliner attracted 109 orders; the 777 family secured51 net orders; and the 737 program achieved 675 net orders.