Boeing CEO says 737 MAX output at 47 a month but not yet stable
Kelly Ortberg told a Morgan Stanley conference that Boeing is building 737 MAX jets at 47 a month, though the rate is not yet steady, with wing production the main constraint, and gave updates on MAX 10 certification and 777X flight tests.
Boeing is building 737 MAX aircraft at 47 a month, a rate that is not yet stable, president and chief executive Kelly Ortberg said at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference in California.
Ortberg, speaking on September 16, 2026 with chief financial officer Jay Malave, said the climb from 42 to 47 a month took longer than he expected. The supply chain is in good shape, he said, and the constraint now sits in wing production. All MAX wings are built in Renton, and the flow improvements the company anticipated have not arrived on schedule.
His goal is 52 aircraft a month, and eventually 63. Boeing would be ready to move to 52 once the 47 rate is stabilised and a new production line in Everett, Washington, is certified and producing, he said. In May 2026 he said Boeing was running at the 47 rate after the Federal Aviation Administration backed higher output.
He also discussed certification of the 737 MAX 10 and flight testing of the 777X.
Sources
- aerotime.aeroBoeing CEO gives update on 737 production, MAX 10 progress and 777X flight tests