Boeing (NYSE:BA) beat its competitor, Airbus, in the month of December when it came to the total sale figures for the month. The company updated its airplane orders last week. In a recent press release, Boeing mentioned that the total orders for commercial aircrafts for the month of December were 1,423. On the other hand, the total orders that Airbus received came to 1,328 jets. The number of cancelled ordered were far greater with Airbus than with Boeing, enabling the latter to beat Airbus. Where a number of market experts are happy for Boeing, some others are wondering as to whether this actually be good news for the company or not.

The reason why Boeing is far ahead of Airbus is its much popular Boeing 777. The company received 269 orders for this aircraft during the year 2014, and not even a single order was canceled by the end of the year 2014. According to some market analysts, this may be a downside for the company, for no buyers are interested in Boeing’s 747 anymore. The company will have to quit production of 747 if it does not receive enough orders.

But then again, this is not really a surprise. The market analysts and experts were expecting this, for the air travel industry is one where the costs of the fuels make up almost one-third of the total costs of airlines. The 747 is a four engine jet that consumes much more fuel than its successors.

The company has 39 total orders for its jumbo jets. The management of Boeing (NYSE:BA) recently announced that it would lower the production to just 1.3 planes monthly. If the company does not receive any more orders, it would still be good for another 29 months. However, the company will have to cease the production of 747 by June 2017 if it does not get any more orders.

Boeing 747-200Bs was built back in 1987, and it is being used by U.S. Air force since then.  The latest model of 747 comes at a price of $360 million. If the U.S. Air Force gives orders for 747, Boeing (NYSE:BA) will have an order worth $1.3 billion, which is almost 1.5 percent of the total revenues that the company reports yearly.

But even if the company does not receive order from U.S. Air Force, it will still be good to go, for Japan has just ordered some 777 engines- these are similar in size and shape to that of 747.

Coming to the current stock prices of Boeing (NYSE:BA), the company is trading in the range of $130.23 to $131.93. On the last trade day of December 26, 2014, Boeing (NYSE:BA) started its stocks at a price of $131.29 and closed at a price of $131.63, after hitting the highest price of $131.93.

As far as the market capitalization and the P/E (price to earnings) ratio of the company is concerned, the figures currently stand at $93.84 billion and 18.81 respectively.

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