FAA Greenlights Boeing 737 Max Production Boost to 42 Jets Monthly, Nearly Two Years After Alaska Airlines Incident
WASHINGTON D.C. — October 17, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday its decision to permit Boeing to increase the production rate of its 737 Max aircraft, raising the monthly limit from 38 to 42 jets. This pivotal move comes nearly two years after a harrowing incident in January 2024, where a door plug dramatically detached from an Alaska Airlines 737 Max jet mid-flight, prompting the initial imposition of a stringent production cap on the aerospace giant.
The January 2024 incident, which saw the door plug blow off an Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, exposed critical manufacturing lapses at Boeing and led to an immediate grounding of certain 737 Max 9 aircraft. In the aftermath, the FAA swiftly stepped in, placing a cap on Boeing’s monthly 737 Max production to ensure exhaustive safety reviews and corrective measures were implemented across its manufacturing lines.
Over the past year, Boeing’s production efforts have faced significant headwinds, falling below the previous 38-jet ceiling. This decline was attributed not only to intensified investigations into its manufacturing processes but also to an almost eight-week machinists’ strike that idled factories. However, Boeing reported reaching the monthly cap in the second quarter of this year, signaling its readiness to seek an increase from the FAA. A spokesperson for Boeing affirmed on Friday that the company followed a “disciplined process,” meticulously adhering to safety guidelines and performance goals collaboratively established with the FAA to ensure a safe ramp-up.
Despite the approved increase, the FAA emphasized that its rigorous oversight of Boeing’s production processes and its ongoing efforts to strengthen the company’s safety culture remain unwavering. FAA inspectors have continued their critical work at Boeing plants, even operating seamlessly through the federal government shutdown that commenced on October 1.
This latest development follows another significant FAA decision just last month, when the agency reinstated Boeing’s authority to perform final safety inspections and certify 737 Max jetliners for flight. This self-certification privilege had been revoked for more than six years, a direct consequence of two catastrophic 737 Max crashes in October 2018 and March 2019. Those tragedies, which claimed the lives of 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia, were ultimately linked to a faulty new software system developed by Boeing for the aircraft. The FAA took full control of all 737 Max approvals in 2019 following the second crash.
The push for increased production has been a point of contention. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg faced direct questioning from a Senate committee in April regarding the 737 Max production rate, where lawmakers pressed for assurances that quality and safety would unequivocally take precedence over profit targets. Ortberg unequivocally stated at the hearing, “Just to be very clear, we won’t ramp up production if the performance isn’t indicating a stable production system. We will continue to work on getting to a stable system.”
In addition to the Alaska Airlines incident, a series of alleged safety violations by Boeing between September 2023 and February 2024 prompted the FAA to seek a substantial $3.1 million in fines from the company, underscoring the intense regulatory scrutiny Boeing continues to face. This approval to increase production highlights a cautious step forward, contingent on Boeing’s sustained commitment to its enhanced safety protocols and manufacturing integrity amidst ongoing industry vigilance.
