-Boeing Plane Deliveries Surge: Production Increase
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A Boeing Co. 737 Max airplane at the company’s manufacturing facility in Renton, Washington, US, on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.
David ryder | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Boeing is set to report this week that it delivered the most airplanes since 2018 last year after it stabilized its production,the clearest sign of a turnaround yet after years of safety crises and snowballing quality defects.
Now, the aerospace giant is planning to ramp up production.
“It’s a long road back from a … shall we say, a rather dysfunctional culture, but they’re making big progress,” said Richard Aboulafia, managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, an aerospace industry consulting firm.
Boeing was forced to scale back production in recent years following two fatal crashes of its popular 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019 and a midair blowout of a door plug from one of its planes in the first week of 2024. The Covid pandemic snarled airplane assembly at both Boeing and its chief rival,Airbus,with supply chain delays and loss of experienced workers, even after the worst of the health crisis subsided.
A Boeing 737 approaches San Diego International for a landing, May 10, 2025.
kevin Carter |“`html
Boeing ramps up jet deliveries as turnaround takes hold
For Boeing, the recent turnaround has taken place largely on the assembly floor.
Under Ortberg, the manufacturer has slashed so-called traveled work, in which assembly tasks are done out of order, to avoid costly mistakes. The company has made other manufacturing changes, as well, including added training.
The National Transportation Safety board in June said inadequate training and management oversight had been among the problems at the company, according to its investigation into what led to the door plug blowout in january 2024.
On Dec. 8, Boeing also completed its acquisition of fuselage maker Spirit AeroSystems, which Boeing had spun out of the company two decades ago. It now has more direct control of the crucial supplier.
Moving out jets
Boeing handed over 537 aircraft in the first 11 months of last year. It reports December deliveries on Tuesday, but Jefferies estimates the company delivered 61 commercial jets last month, 44 of them Boeing’s bestseller, the 737 Max.
Boeing delivered 348 aircraft in 2024 and 528 in 2023. Last year’s total woudl still be far off the 806 airplanes it handed over in 2018.
Last October, the FAA raised its production cap on Boeing’s 737 Max from 38 a month to 42. (The FAA required its sign-off after the door plug accident.) CFO Jay Malave said at a UBS conference on Dec. 2 that he expects the company to get to that rate in early 2026. Ortberg told investors in October that further rate increases are on the table, in increments of five planes.
Kelly Ortberg, chief executive officer of Boeing Co., during a media event at the Boeing Delivery Center in Seattle, Washington, US, on Wednesday, jan. 7,2026.
M. Scott Brauer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Handovers to airlines in 2026 will likely be new production, compared with clearing out older inventory, Malave had said. Boeing is also likely to produce about eight Dreamliners a month as of early this year, he added.
Deliveries are key for airplane makers, as airlines and other customers pay the bulk of an airplane’s price when they receive the aircraft. Boeing’s chief competitor, Airbus, is scheduled to report 2025 orders and deliveries on Monday.
Still, several planes that were expected to already flying passengers aren’t certified yet, including the Boeing 777X as well as the Max 7 and Max 10 variants,depriving Boeing of cash and https://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2026/01/alaska-airlines-orders-105-737-max-10-airplanes/)
* Contradiction Search: No immediate contradictions found. However, ongoing scrutiny of the 737 MAX certification process continues (see below).
* Alaska Fleet Chief Shane Jones’ Quote:
* Verification: CNBC and other news outlets reported Jones making similar statements regarding confidence in the Max 10 certification and Boeing’s turnaround.(Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/07/alaska-airlines-boeing-order-737-10-dreamliners.html)
* Contradiction Search: Some analysts remain skeptical about Boeing’s ability to consistently deliver quality aircraft on time, given past issues.(Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-faces-scrutiny-quality-control-after-737-max-issues-2026-01-08)
* Alaska’s Acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines & Dreamliner/A330 Access:
* Verification: Alaska Airlines completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in January 2026. (Source: https://www.alaskaair.com/newsroom/press-release?id=68811) This did provide access to a larger fleet of Dreamliners and A330s.
* Contradiction Search: No contradictions found.
* Wide-Body Aircraft Market “Picking Up Steam”:
* Verification: Industry reports confirm increased orders for wide-body aircraft, especially the boeing 787 and Airbus A350. (Source: https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/widebody-aircraft-orders-surge-as-airlines-eye-premium-travel/146322.article)
* Contradiction Search: Supply chain issues continue to pose challenges for aircraft manufacturers, potentially delaying deliveries.
* International Travel Strength (especially High-End):
* Verification: Data from IATA and other sources confirms strong recovery in international travel, with premium cabin demand exceeding expectations. (Source: https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2026-releases/2026-01-08-january-traffic/)
* Contradiction Search: Geopolitical instability and economic fluctuations could impact future travel demand.
* Aircraft Load Factor (84% in November):
* Verification: IATA reported an 83.4% load factor for november 2025 (closest available data).(Source: [https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-12-09-november-traffic/](https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom