FAA inspectors maintain heavy oversight as Boeing accelerates 737 MAX production rates
- Boeing said on April 22 it is still building 737 MAX jets at 42 a month and plans to raise output to 47 this summer, even as Federal Aviation Administration oversight remains in place. - First-quarter revenue rose 14% to $22.2 billion on 143 commercial deliveries, while Boeing narrowed its net loss to $7 million and kept forecasting 737-7 and 737-10 certification in 2026. - The pressure point is unchanged: the FAA says it will keep aggressive oversight after the 2024 MAX 9 door-plug blowout, including airworthiness checks on each new 737 MAX. (faa.gov)
Boeing says it is holding 737 MAX production at 42 jets a month and still plans to lift that to 47 this summer. (boeing.com) (cnbc.com) The update came with Boeing’s April 22 first-quarter results: revenue rose to $22.217 billion from $19.496 billion a year earlier, and net loss narrowed to $7 million from $31 million. (boeing.com) Boeing delivered 143 commercial airplanes in the quarter, including 114 737s, 15 787s, eight 777s and six 767s. (boeing.com) The company also said the 737-10 entered Type Inspection Authorization 2 during the quarter, part of the final certification flight-test phase. Boeing said it still expects certification of the 737-7 and 737-10 in 2026 and first deliveries in 2027. (boeing.com) The Federal Aviation Administration has not stepped back. After the January 5, 2024 Alaska Airlines door-plug blowout, the agency halted production expansion, added inspectors in Boeing facilities and said it would keep “aggressive oversight” of Boeing and its suppliers. (faa.gov 1) (faa.gov 2) The FAA has also said it continues to issue airworthiness certificates for every newly produced 737 MAX, meaning each airplane still goes through direct regulator scrutiny before delivery. (faa.gov) That oversight sits alongside a broader certification queue. Boeing is also working toward 777-9 certification, and the company said in 2025 that it had passed 4,000 hours of flight testing on the dedicated 777-9 test fleet. (boeing.com) But the 777X program is carrying rework costs too. Boeing told investors that about 30 early-built 777X aircraft will need “change incorporation” modifications before they can be delivered, with first 777-9 deliveries now targeted for 2027. (flightglobal.com) Another pressure point surfaced on April 21, when the Department of Transportation’s inspector general said the FAA followed its own process on LEAP-1B smoke-and-fume incidents on 737 MAX 8s but still warranted further assessment. The report said bird strikes in March and December 2023 led to oil mist and irritating fumes entering cockpits or cabins. (oig.dot.gov) So Boeing’s near-term picture is two tracks at once: more 737 deliveries and better cash flow, but still under FAA inspection and still paying to bring delayed programs up to delivery standard. (boeing.com) (faa.gov)
