When assessing the state of a manufacturer's order and delivery books, the term 'white tail' is one that you might come across. Such planes are not typically a good sign for a planemaker, particularly amid the present challenging climate. But what exactly does the term white tail mean? Let's take a closer look and find out.

What are they?

So what exactly does the term 'white tail' denote when it comes to aircraft production? Simply put, the phrase refers to planes that are complete, but don't have a customer to go to. These aircraft have neither a livery nor a customer, leaving them with white tails, hence their name. This can arise for several reasons.

For example, a manufacturer might build a given aircraft despite not having a customer in order to retain its production rate. Alternatively, an airline might cancel its order for particular aircraft with the planes already on the production line.

According to Reuters, the 737 MAX groundings also left Boeing with as many as 200 white tails. This came about as airlines canceled their orders, with the groundings leaving Boeing unable to deliver them elsewhere. This resulted in a significant backlog of undelivered and unwanted next-generation narrowbodies.

Boeing 737 MAX, Deliveries, Resumption
The 737 MAX groundings left Boeing with hundreds of white tails. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

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The situation at Airbus and Boeing

Despite the masses of unwanted Boeing aircraft brought about by the MAX groundings, the US planemaker is recovering well. As it looks to recover from the double blow of the groundings and the coronavirus pandemic, it has managed to offload many of its undelivered planes. Of course, these weren't just 737 MAX aircraft.

Indeed, as Simple Flying reported last year, it also briefly had four 747-8 white tails on its hands. With the 737 MAX back in the skies, the company has been able to work towards clearing its backlog. However, with deliveries of the 787 having been on hold for almost a year, it runs the risk of a new backlog arising.

Meanwhile, at Boeing's European rival Airbus, the situation is even more favorable. Indeed, Simple Flying reported in July 2021 that the multi-national planemaker no longer had any white tails on its hands. This is an encouraging sign for the company as it, along with the aviation industry as a whole, looks to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic-induced challenges of the last two years.

Southwest, Boeing, 737 MAX 7
Southwest wanted to expedite its Boeing 737 MAX deliveries by acquiring white tail examples of the type. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

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Picking up the pieces

Offloading white tails requires customers for the unwanted planes. For example, Boeing reportedly approached Delta in 2020 in an attempt to re-sell its canceled MAX orders. One airline that has been keen to cash in on the surplus of available 737 MAX jets is Dallas-based Boeing 737 MAX operator Southwest Airlines.

As early as November 2020, it became apparent that the carrier was intending to acquire up to 30 of these aircraft. According to Mentour Pilot, these would not have been additional acquisitions. Instead, they would replace Southwest's existing orders, allowing the carrier to receive the same amount of MAXs sooner.

Did you know what white tail aircraft are? Perhaps you've seen some on your travels? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Sources: Mentour Pilot, Reuters