LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Boeing's commercial aircraft chief, Stephanie Pope, said on Sunday that the company is focused on increasing and improving aircraft production "not on announcing orders."

She told reporters ahead of the Farnborough Airshow, "The backlog of orders is very strong. Demand is not our problem. If we announce some orders... we will celebrate with our customers based on their wishes."

She said Boeing's priority "is listening" to customers and suppliers at the biennial trade show that brings together executives from the industry's top companies.

She continued, "We will understand what challenges they face, and then we will tell them everything new about our products."

Increasing production is vital to the company’s continued financial recovery and its ability to compete with Airbus, whose A320 aircraft have outsold the Boeing 737 Max in the lucrative narrow-body aircraft market.

The 737 model contributes the majority of Boeing's commercial aircraft revenue, and increased production is essential to paying off the company's $26 billion debt.