No—38 a month is no longer Boeing’s reported 737 production rate. Boeing said the program reached 38 per month in the second quarter of 2025 and stabilized there in the third quarter. It then increased to 42 per month in the fourth quarter of 2025. Boeing’s latest filing, covering the second quarter of 2026, says the program began transitioning from 42 to 47 per month during the first half of 2026; it does not confirm that 47 had become the sustained rate by June 30.
What is Boeing’s 737 production rate?
The latest rate disclosure available here is Boeing’s second-quarter 2026 filing. It describes a transition from 42 to 47 737s per month that began during the first half of 2026, with FAA concurrence. That wording matters: a transition toward a rate is not confirmation that the rate has been reached or sustained. The filing does not establish the program’s sustained monthly rate after June 2026.
The 38-per-month milestone is historical. Boeing said the 737 program increased production to 38 per month in the second quarter of 2025 and stabilized at that rate in the third quarter. Its annual filing says the rate recovered to 42 per month during the fourth quarter of 2025. Boeing’s third-quarter 2025 results and its 2025 annual filing describe those steps.
How the reported rate changed
| Period | Reported production rate | What Boeing’s wording establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Second quarter 2025 | 38 per month | Boeing said the program increased to this rate. Boeing’s second-quarter 2025 results. |
| Third quarter 2025 | 38 per month | Boeing said production had stabilized at this rate. Boeing’s third-quarter 2025 results. |
| Fourth quarter 2025 | 42 per month | Boeing’s annual filing says the program recovered to 42 during the quarter; the company and FAA agreed to the increase in October after reviewing performance indicators and rate readiness. Boeing’s 2025 annual filing. |
| First half 2026 | Transition from 42 toward 47 per month | Boeing says the transition began with FAA concurrence. The filing does not confirm full attainment of 47 by June 30. Boeing’s second-quarter 2026 filing. |
The title’s “first time since 2020” phrasing should be treated cautiously. The cited disclosures establish the 2025 milestone and later increases, but do not provide a complete month-by-month production series from 2020 onward. They therefore do not establish every intervening month’s rate.
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Why the FAA matters to the increases
The move from 38 to 42 was not presented simply as a factory target. Boeing’s annual filing says the company and FAA jointly agreed to the increase in October 2025 after reviewing key performance indicators and rate readiness, guided by Boeing’s Safety Management System. Boeing described the 2026 transition toward 47 as having FAA concurrence.
Regulatory oversight continued alongside the rate changes. On August 3, 2026, the FAA announced that it had issued an amended type certificate and updated Production Limitation Record for the 737 MAX 7. The agency said inspectors would remain at Boeing production facilities to monitor manufacturing, including Boeing’s Safety Management System and safety culture. The FAA’s MAX 7 certification announcement distinguishes that certification milestone from production oversight.
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Separately, effective July 20, 2026, the FAA returned issuance of end-of-production airworthiness certificates to Boeing for all 737 MAX and 787 airplanes. The agency said inspections, audits, and production monitoring would continue. This change concerns who issues those certificates; it does not mean factory oversight ended. The FAA’s announcement explains the change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Production is not the same as deliveries
A production rate describes the pace of manufacturing. Deliveries count aircraft handed over to customers. A reported rate of 38, 42, or a transition toward 47 per month cannot be used as a monthly delivery figure: the cited disclosures do not establish how many aircraft Boeing delivered in any given month. Nor does a rate announcement alone show that every aircraft produced was immediately ready for delivery.
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What the rate means for MAX variants and new capacity
Boeing’s second-quarter 2026 filing says low-rate production on a new 737 line began in July 2026. The line must receive FAA production certification before its first delivery. That is a separate step from the rate transition, and the filing does not say that the new line had already begun customer deliveries.
Variant certification is also distinct from the overall program rate. The FAA certified the MAX 7 on August 3, 2026. Boeing’s second-quarter filing still described MAX 10 certification as expected in 2026. Those statements do not establish identical certification status for the two variants.
Quick Recap
What readers should watch next
- A confirmed sustained rate: Boeing’s filing describes the move toward 47 as a transition, not a completed, sustained rate. A later company disclosure would be needed to establish that it had been reached.
- Factory output versus handovers: Look for production and delivery figures separately; they answer different questions.
- Regulatory and line milestones: The new line’s production certification is required before its first delivery, while MAX variant certification has its own status.
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