Boeing is assembling 737 MAX narrowbodies at 47 per month — up from 42 but not yet stable, with Renton wing output acting as the binding constraint, CEO Kelly Ortberg told investors at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference on September 16, 2026.

Addressing the audience alongside Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave, Ortberg framed the current rate as a stepping stone. "We are now driving at 47 a month," he said, but conceded Boeing had not yet reached a stable tempo. The climb from 42 took longer than expected.

When can 737 MAX production stabilize?

The throttle sits on the wing shop. Boeing builds every MAX wing in Renton, Washington, and line-flow improvements have lagged management's plan. "We just have not seen the flow improvements that we expected in the time frame," Ortberg said. "So, it's taken us a little bit longer."

The supply chain beyond wings is in "really good shape," according to Ortberg. The next milestones form a sequenced path:

• Stabilize the current 47-a-month rate
• Certify and ramp the new 737 production line in Everett, Washington
• Move to a 52-a-month rate once those conditions hold

Ortberg has previously floated an ambition of "someday" reaching 63 MAXs a month. He did not commit to a date for the move to 52.

How close is MAX 10 certification?

The undelivered MAX 10 sits in the final paperwork stage. Ortberg said flight testing and technical work are complete. "Now we're just in the documentation phase," he said, calling the program "coming very shortly" and adding that Boeing is "knocking down these major milestones on certification."

Boeing crossed one regulatory marker in August 2026 when the FAA type-certified the smaller MAX 7. The MAX 10 is now the only member of the MAX family awaiting that approval.

What's blocking 777X flight-test progress?

Boeing lacks the ETOPS authorization needed to conduct the 777-9's extended flight-test program. The gating issue is a mid-seal problem on the GE Aerospace GE9X engines, first identified in January 2026.

"Until we get the mid-seal certification plan complete, we can't get authorization to start that ETOPS," Ortberg said. He added: "GE Aerospace is working that diligently. I think they had to do a little more testing than what we originally planned."

Some 777-9 flight-test work may now "spill into the next year."

Where does 787 production stand?

The 787 line has found firmer ground after engine-related slowdowns earlier in 2026. Boeing is now stable at eight 787s a month, with monthly handovers likely to remain uneven.

• Current rate: 8 per month — what Ortberg called "a pretty good rollout rate"
• Engine delivery performance has not yet cleared a move to 10 a month
• Targeted step-up: "probably moving towards the end of the year"

"Lumpy" deliveries reflect ongoing friction in seating and seat certification, a problem Ortberg flagged as the year's main delivery-side complication beyond the engine issue.

What hangs on the next two quarters?

Ortberg's update places four programs inside a single decision window:

• The wing-flow fix in Renton
• FAA sign-off on the MAX 10
• GE Aerospace's mid-seal certification plan
• The engine-delivery cadence needed for a 787 rate-10 jump

The CEO framed each as a conditional step rather than a calendar date, with outcomes contingent on third-party dependencies — the FAA for the MAX 10, GE Aerospace for the 777X engine clearance, and engine suppliers broadly for the 787 ramp.