July 9 (Reuters) - Boeing ( BA ) said on Tuesday it

delivered more commercial jets in June than in any other month

this year, but the total of 44 planes represented a 27% drop on

an annual basis amid a whirlwind of legal and production

challenges.

The company has pledged to expand production by the end of

the year, after wrestling with supply chain snags and operating

a slower assembly line since a Jan. 5 mid-air blowout of a door

plug on a 737 MAX 9 jet that heightened regulatory scrutiny.

On Sunday, the U.S. Justice Department said Boeing ( BA ) agreed to

plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge linked to two

737 MAX fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, raising questions about

the planemaker's ability to secure government contracts.

The company handed over five 777 freighters, including two

of the jets to Air China, confirming Reuters reports that

widebody deliveries to China have resumed after being halted

this spring due to a Chinese regulatory review.

Boeing ( BA ) also reported 11 orders in June for 777 freighters,

the third-highest month ever for the model, out of a total of 14

gross orders for the month.

After adjustments to reflect the backlog, Boeing ( BA ) reported

adjusted net orders for the month of a negative 104. The

planemaker did not give a specific explanation.

That brought Boeing's ( BA ) gross order total so far this year to

156. After removing cancellations and conversions, Boeing ( BA ) posted

a net total of 115 orders since the start of 2024.

Following further accounting adjustments, Boeing ( BA ) reported

adjusted net orders of 26 airplanes so far this year.

Boeing ( BA ) delivered 175 planes in the year to date, trailing

its European rival Airbus which delivered 323 airplanes

in the first half.

The world's largest planemaker also said this week that it

had won 327 gross orders in the first six months of 2024, or a

net total of 310 after cancellations.