Nearly two years after a tumultuous period in the company’s history, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has increased Boeing’s monthly production cap for its 737 Max planes, increasing the figure from 38 to 42, a welcome announcement for the manufacturer, as it hasn’t turned an annual profit since 2018.
Fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 left the Max grounded for nearly two years, followed by the pandemic which not only introduced operational challenges, but also supply chain issues, challenges that were capped off by a strike at its Seattle operations in 2024.
The most recent production restrictions came into effect in January 2024 after a door plug fell off inflight from a relatively new 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines. The National Transportation Safety Board found that Boeing failed to reinstall key bolts on the aircraft before it left the factory, and though it returned and landed safely, it was cause for concern.
The FAA still plans to oversee Boeing’s production. “FAA safety inspectors conducted extensive reviews of Boeing’s production lines to ensure that this small production rate increase will be done safely,” the agency said in a statement, though the move shows a shift in confidence in favour of the manufacturer after years of restrictions.
