Boeing 737 MAX airplanes are stored on employee parking lots near Boeing Field on Thursday in Seattle, Washington. After a pair of crashes, the 737 MAX has been grounded by the US Federal Aviation Administration and other aviation agencies since March, 13. Photo: VCG

Boeing Co took 10 new plane orders last month, but saw some customers swapping the US planemaker's grounded 737 MAX planes in favor of more expensive widebody planes as doubts lingered about the MAX's return to service.

Net orders so far this year came to just 45 at the end of October, down from 56 in September, further widening the gap on sales this year with the company's European rival Airbus, which has now sold nearly 500 more planes.

After an accounting adjustment representing jets ordered in previous years, but now unlikely to be delivered, Boeing's net total for orders this year sank to a negative 95 airplanes.

The orders included what Boeing called a "conversion" by Air Lease Corp of 15 MAX orders into five 787 Dreamliners. Turkmenistan Airlines removed three MAX planes from its order book.

Air Lease, which had 135 outstanding orders for the 737 MAX as of October, down from 150 orders in September, has said the conversion reflected greater demand from airline customers for the 787 in future years.

Boeing on Monday indicated it expects US regulators to approve the return to commercial service of the jet in the coming weeks.