Boeing said on Tuesday it delivered 14 commercial jets in October, less than half of the 34 jets it handed over to customers during the same month in 2023, after a weeks-long strike halted most of its aircraft production.

Southwest Airlines Co. expects the strike by Boeing Co. workers and a lengthy push to boost production to once again limit the number of aircraft it receives next year.

The embattled carrier will lay off airport workers in several locations as it cuts flights due to a shortage for Boeing 737 aircraft.

Boeing received its first order after reaching a deal with striking machinists, but it still faces a difficult road ahead.

Boeing says it will be several weeks before it fully resumes building passenger planes, as factory workers return following a strike that lasted nearly two months.

After striking for almost two months, workers will return to factory floors in the Pacific Northwest, but must ensure safety procedures are followed as it begins building 737 jetliners.