Boeing delivered a total of 59 commercial planes in the fourth quarter capping a disappointing year for the American plane manufacturer.

In total, the company delivered 157 commercial jets in 2020, a 59 per cent drop on the 320 deliveries made in 2019.

Boeing saw demand for its planes, especially wide-body jets used in long-haul flights, plummet with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The grounding of the Boeing 737 Max also took a toll, with production rates cut last year.

However, the plane has now returned to commercial service, leaving Boeing to argue 2021 will be a year of recovery.

“Through the global pandemic, we took meaningful steps to adapt to our new market, transform our business and deliver for our commercial, defence, space and services customers in 2020,” said Greg Smith, Boeing executive vice president of enterprise operations and chief financial officer.

“The resumption of 737 MAX deliveries in December was a key milestone as we strengthen safety and quality across our enterprise.

“We also continued comprehensive inspections of our 787 airplanes to ensure they meet our highest quality standards prior to delivery.

“While limiting our 787 deliveries for the quarter, these comprehensive inspections represent our focus on safety, quality and transparency.”

He added: “As we continue navigating through the pandemic, we’re working closely with our global customers and monitoring the slow international traffic recovery to align supply with market demand across our widebody programs.

“In 2021, we’ll continue taking the right actions to enhance our safety culture, preserve liquidity and transform our business for the future.”

While also hit by the pandemic, rival Airbus reported a smaller drop in 2020 deliveries earlier this week.