Boeing is confident of securing US regulatory approval to raise 737 MAX production from 38 to 42 aircraft per month starting October 2025, with plans for further increases to 53 per month by late 2026.
Suppliers receive guidance from Boeing aligned with the accelerated production targets for the MAX family.
In late September, Boeing regained FAA authority to conduct final safety checks and issue airworthiness certificates for 737 MAX and 787 jets on an alternating basis.
FAA chief Bryan Bedford indicated in late August that scenario-based tabletop exercises would precede any review of the current production cap imposed in January 2024 following the Alaska Airlines mid-air incident on a 737-9.
The cap is designed by the FAA to ensure Boeing’s compliance with standards after the series of Max crashes and the loss of a cabin door in early 2024.
Michael O’Leary shared at a press conference in Madrid: “Will the FAA then allow them to go to rate 48 next March, April, which is the next big jump? We’re pretty confident that will happen. Will they get the MAX 7 and MAX 10 certified in 2026? Boeing are telling us they’re now very confident that certification will take place. So we’re pretty confident, but it could still be disrupted.”
