FAA approves Boeing’s next MAX production increase, CEO Ortberg says

Key Points:

• Boeing has completed its FAA "capstone review" for increasing 737 MAX production to 47 planes per month this summer, with CEO Kelly Ortberg expressing confidence in stabilizing this rate over the coming months.
• The FAA supports Boeing's production rate increase after extensive safety inspections, lifting previous caps imposed following a mid-air panel blowout in January 2024 that had limited production to 38 planes per month.
• Boeing plans to eventually reach a production rate of 63 MAX planes per month, utilizing a new fourth production line in Everett (the North Line) to maintain safety and quality standards and provide operational flexibility.
• Boeing currently holds a backlog of over 6,200 commercial planes, with delivery timelines extending into the 2030s, underscoring strong customer demand despite past safety and certification challenges.
• China has agreed to purchase 200 Boeing planes, marking its first order in nearly a decade, which Boeing sees as a successful step to reopen the Chinese market for its narrowbody aircraft, with official order details to be finalized later this year.