Manufacturing Was Capped at 38 MAX Jets Per Month After the Infamous Door Plug Incident

Boeing has been approved to churn out up to 42 MAX jets per month, giving it some leeway from a cap that was set early last year after a door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight mid-air. This comes just a month after the FAA partially restored the manufacturer’s right to certify planes that roll off the line.

The move follows months of inspections at Boeing’s Renton, Washington, facility, where the FAA verified that a modest four-plane-per-month increase could be achieved without compromising safety.

The production ceiling was one part of a wider clampdown on Boeing’s manufacturing oversight after a series of high-profile safety lapses and quality control issues. Though the company rarely hit the 38-aircraft limit in 2024, due to thorough investigations and an eight-week machinists’ strike, it reached the threshold by mid-2025 and began seeking permission to build more. Boeing said it followed a “disciplined process” in coordination with FAA guidelines before even touching the subject of a bump-up.

The FAA confirmed that the change does mean it will ease its presence at Boeing facilities.. Inspectors remain clamped onto Boeing’s production lines and continue to monitor operations despite the ongoing federal government shutdown.

This development comes shortly after the agency restored Boeing’s authority to conduct final safety inspections and issue airworthiness certificates for newly built MAX jets. This privilege was revoked in 2019 after two fatal crashes exposed flaws in the aircraft’s automated control system and the company’s safety culture.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told lawmakers earlier this year that the company “won't ramp up production if the performance isn't indicating a stable production system.” He described the new rate as a “measured step” toward restoring normal operations and rebuilding industry confidence, targeting 42 aircraft per month by late this year and 53 per month by 2026… if the FAA continues to bend in Boeing’s favor.

FMI: www.boeing.com