Boeing (BOE, Washington National) will need more time than expected to boost B737 MAX production and stabilise it at around 47 aircraft per month, CEO Kelly Ortberg said at Morgan Stanley's 14th Annual Laguna Conference.
Ortberg elaborated that wing production at its Renton, Washington factory is experiencing some delays, but that plans have been put in place to resolve the issues.
According to ch-aviation data, Boeing built 48 of the B737 MAX family aircraft in August, 38 of the family in July, 39 in June, and 38 in May. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the B737-7 in August, but the certification of the B737-10 is still pending, having experienced multiple delays.
B777X update
Meanwhile, Ortberg added that B777-9 testing could extend into 2027 as additional time is needed to test the GE Aerospace GE9X engines. In particular, there is a durability issue involving a mid-seal of the engine, which is delaying other certification activities such as Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS) testing.
However, Ortberg still believes B777-9 deliveries will start in 2027.
Early B777X aircraft have been parked for years amid multiple production issues and delays. In July, Emirates president, Tim Clark, said he does not want the first 10 aircraft of the variant because of the amount of post-production fixes they need.
Meanwhile, Lufthansa is discussing compensation options with the OEM in case it takes some of the early-production aircraft, according to group CEO Carsten Spohr. However, reports emerged that United Airlines may be interested in the early-built B777-9s, despite not having any confirmed orders for the type.
Boeing recorded 15 new net orders in August and no order cancellations.
