Boeing's 787 orders swelled last month and snapped a two-month sales drought as the planemaker locked down deals for 53 of the South Carolina-built jets.
The company attributed 33 of the March bookings — the first of the year for the North Charleston-based program — to unidentified buyers.
The other 20 787-10 Dreamliners will be built for Korea Air under a larger 50-aircraft "commitment" announced last summer.
The agreement was converted to a firm order late last month. It gives Korean Air the option to buy up to 10 more of the largest 787 model as part of a major fleet and route upgrade.
Details about the delivery schedule were not disclosed.
Korean Air, which owns an aerospace business that builds 787 wing-tip components, picked up its first Dreamliner from North Charleston in 2017. CEO Walter Cho said the relationship between the global carrier and Boeing stretches back more than 50 years.
The latest 787 commitment is the Seoul-based airline's largest-ever aircraft deal with the U.S. manufacturer.
"Today, we further strengthen our historic relationship with this landmark order,” Cho said in a written statement.
Last month's surge put Boeing within 10 of the 63 Dreamliner deals it racked up for all of 2024. The most recent order came together in December, when Mideast carrier flydubai added 30 planes to the backlog.
Arlington, Va.-based Boeing also reported that it handed off four Dreamliners to buyers last month.
The deliveries included one midsize "Dash 9" each to China Southern Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways. The other was a smaller 787-8 for Scoot, a budget carrier owned by Singapore Airlines.
For the first quarter, Boeing reported 13 Dreamliner shipments, down two from the previous three months and unchanged from a year earlier.
The company has said it expects to deliver between 75 to 80 of the widebodies by the end of the year, up from 50 in 2024.
Boeing plans to double its monthly 787 production rate to 10 planes by 2026. The latest figures show the company's backlog of nearly 4,300 commercial aircraft includes 767 Dreamliners.
Late last year, Boeing announced it will spend $1 billion to expand its North Charleston operations. The investment will include a second 787 assembly plant.
Separately, the company's top finance executive last month brushed off the impact of rising tariffs and supply-chain snarls, predicting Boeing can navigate the challenges with minimal disruptions.