Boeing expected to post fewer deliveries for 2008

Chicago-based Boeing's deliveries of passenger jets nose took a dive last fall as a strike froze the company's commercial aircraft factories.

And that disruption is expected to dent the airplane maker's overall tally for 2008.

Analysts believe deliveries for last year will be considerably lower than the 441 planes in 2007. Boeing reports its final count tomorrow, when it posts December numbers.

Boeing is the world's second-largest plane maker after Europe's Airbus.

It has blamed a two-month strike by machinists and other production glitches for delaying delivery of new jets. But even without the work stoppage, demand for Boeing's planes slowed after the summer because of the global economic downturn.

In an effort to complete more deliveries, Boeing has offered to finance some of the jets for its customers.