The Federal Aviation Administration will let Boeing produce as many as 42 of its 737 Max jets each month, raising a cap that the agency established nearly two years ago.
The agency had limited Boeing to making no more than 38 Max planes per month since January 2024, when a door panel blew off a Max near Portland, Oregon. A subsequent federal investigation determined that the plane, which was operated by Alaska Airlines, had left Boeing’s factory missing four bolts designed to hold the panel in place.
The decision is important for Boeing because it shows that the FAA is gaining confidence in the company’s efforts to improve manufacturing quality.
“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. “Our direct oversight of Boeing’s production processes, implementation of its safety management system, and whistleblower protections has not changed.”
The FAA said that inspectors who oversee Boeing’s production continue to work despite the government shutdown.
The panel incident resurrected concerns about the safety of Boeing’s planes five years after two fatal Max crashes, in 2018 and 2019, killed 346 people. The plane was banned globally for nearly two years before airlines resumed flying it in late 2020.
After last year’s panel blowout, Boeing replaced its CEO and other senior managers and made changes to improve quality and accountability in its production.
“Our team has followed a disciplined rate-readiness process guided by our safety management system and tracked by key performance indicators that were agreed upon with the FAA,” Boeing said in a statement. “We appreciate the work by our team, our suppliers, and the FAA to ensure we are prepared to increase production with safety and quality at the forefront.”
The Max is Boeing’s bestselling commercial jet, accounting for nearly 70% of 6,000 outstanding orders for the company’s planes.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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