CEO Targets 47 Aircraft Per Month By 2026

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg recently expressed the company’s intent to ramp up 737 MAX production rates, churning out 42 planes a month later this year and 47 by early 2026. This reflects some extra wiggle room recently granted by US regulators.

The announcement comes as Boeing continues operating under an FAA-imposed cap of 38 aircraft per month. This regulation was set in early 2024 after a midair panel detachment reignited concerns over quality control.

According to Ortberg, Boeing has since achieved a 30% reduction in production defects. Customer feedback seems to have improved as well, though the bar for “higher quality” may still be recovering from a low point.

He also tied the company’s future financial health to ramping up production, which is something of a necessity after Boeing posted a $2.3 billion cash burn in Q1. The company expects to return to positive cash flow in the second half of 2025, assuming production increases and no new crises.

On the certification front, Boeing aims to complete critical testing of the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 jets by July. These were both delayed by regulatory concerns, including over de-icing system issues. Certification is expected before the end of 2025, allowing the company to begin fulfilling the nearly 1,200 orders for the MAX 10 and over 300 for the MAX 7.

Boeing also expects aircraft deliveries to Chinese carriers to resume in June, following a suspension in April that was loosely blamed on US tariff policy confusion. Though Ortberg downplayed the financial impact of the delivery halt, estimating losses under $500 million, resuming Chinese deliveries will be a crucial part of production scaling.

FMI: www.boeing.com