Boeing has spent the past two years rebuilding trust with regulators, customers and its own factory floor. 

The results are now visible in the monthly data, though they are far from even across every programme.

The company is producing more narrowbodies than at any point since the door plug crisis, yet it still trails Airbus on both orders and deliveries. 

Understanding why means looking at each programme on its own terms rather than at the headline totals.

Key Takeaways

• The FAA cap of 38 aircraft a month was lifted to 42 in October 2025, and Boeing began transitioning to 47 during the first half of 2026.

• A fourth 737 production line entered low-rate production in July 2026 and must be production-certified by the FAA before it can deliver.

• The 737-7 and 737-10 are still expected to be certified during 2026, with first customer deliveries pushed into 2027.

• The 777-9 cleared Type Inspection Authorization Phase 4B in June 2026 and remains targeted at a 2027 first delivery.

• Boeing delivered 367 aircraft through July 2026, which is 39 more than at the same point in 2025.

• Airbus closed July with a 607-aircraft lead on gross orders and a 51-aircraft lead on deliveries.

The 737 line has finally moved off its ceiling

After the January 2024 Alaska Airlines door plug event, the FAA held 737 MAX output at 38 aircraft a month. 

That cap stayed in place until October 2025, when the regulator agreed to allow 42 once Boeing had demonstrated a stable production system.

Boeing produced at 42 a month through the first quarter of 2026, then began the transition to 47 during the first half of the year with FAA concurrence. The company has also said publicly that it is planning for rates beyond 47.

The more structural move is the fourth 737 production line, which entered low-rate production in July 2026. That line has to be production-certified by the FAA before any aircraft built on it can be handed to a customer.

Two MAX variants are still waiting on paperwork

The 737-7 and 737-10 remain uncertified, and Boeing has held its guidance at certification during 2026 with first deliveries in 2027. 

The final outstanding item is the engine anti-ice solution, which has been the long pole for both variants.

The cost of that wait is sitting on the ramp in Washington State. Boeing held roughly 40 completed 737-7 and 737-10 airframes in inventory as of 30 June 2026, up from about 35 three months earlier.

For customers, this is a fleet planning problem rather than an accounting curiosity. Carriers that built schedules around these variants have absorbed several rounds of slippage already.

The 777X is close, but the regulator sets the pace

The 777-9 has made genuine progress this year. The FAA cleared it into Type Inspection Authorization Phase 4A on 17 March 2026, then granted Phase 4B in early June, leaving Phase 5 and ETOPS validation on the critical path.

The first production-standard 777-9, built for launch customer Lufthansa, completed a three-hour maiden flight from Everett in May 2026. 

Unlike the earlier test airframes, it carries a fully fitted cabin, which lets Boeing validate galleys, connectivity and in-flight entertainment under something close to real conditions.

Boeing continues to guide to first delivery in 2027, and Lufthansa has signalled that it expects its aircraft in the first quarter of that year. Cathay Pacific, another early operator, is now working to an end-of-2027 window.

The programme already absorbed a 4.9 billion dollar pre-tax charge in October 2025 when the delivery date moved out of 2026. 

Anyone tracking the remaining certification gates will find the latest Boeing updates worth checking week by week, because this schedule has shifted more than once.

The 777-8 Freighter is expected roughly two years after the 777-9 enters service. The 777-8 passenger variant is not anticipated before 2030.

The 787 is quietly carrying the widebody side

The Dreamliner has been running at eight a month and is the second-largest delivery programme of the year, with 50 handed over through July. 

Boeing also secured FAA certification of an increased maximum takeoff weight for the 787-9 and 787-10, which widens the range and payload envelope for long-haul operators.

Demand has followed the stabilisation. Delta placed its first direct order for the type in 2025 and added 30 787-10s in early 2026, while Riyadh Air exercised options on another 28 Dreamliners at Farnborough to take its firm order to 67 aircraft.

Orders look healthier than deliveries

Boeing closed 2025 with 600 commercial deliveries, its best total since 2018, alongside 1,173 net orders. 

That order figure put it ahead of Airbus on net sales for the first time since 2018, with a commercial backlog above 6,100 aircraft.

2026 has been a less flattering picture. Boeing delivered 53 aircraft in July, down from 64 in June but ahead of the 48 recorded in July 2025, bringing the year-to-date total to 367.

Airbus delivered 67 in the same month and finished July 51 aircraft ahead on deliveries and 607 ahead on gross orders. 

Farnborough was unusually subdued for Boeing, which booked 38 gross orders and 30 net after eight cancellations.

What to watch across the rest of 2026

• Final FAA sign-off on the 737-7 and 737-10, which Boeing still expects before year-end.

• Completion of 777-9 flight testing, with ETOPS work likely running into 2027.

• Production certification of the fourth 737 line at Renton.

• Whether the 47 a month narrowbody rate actually holds through the fourth quarter.

• Any movement on the 777-10 feasibility study Boeing has said it is backing.

Conclusion

Boeing in 2026 is a company where the recovery is real but unevenly distributed. The 737 line has broken through its regulatory ceiling, the 787 is stable and selling, and the 777X is closer to certification than it has ever been.

What has not changed is that the regulator now sets the tempo on every programme. Order books and production rates make the headlines, but certification gates are what will decide whether Boeing closes the gap on Airbus over the next 18 months.

Frequently asked questions

Has the FAA lifted the 737 MAX production cap? Yes. The 38-a-month limit imposed after the January 2024 door plug event was raised to 42 in October 2025, and Boeing began transitioning to 47 during the first half of 2026.

When will the 737-7 and 737-10 be certified? Boeing continues to expect certification during 2026, with first customer deliveries in 2027. The engine anti-ice solution is the remaining certification item.

Is the 777X definitely delivering in 2027? That is Boeing's stated target, and Lufthansa expects its first aircraft in the first quarter of 2027. Phase 5 flight testing and ETOPS validation still have to be completed before that can happen.

How far behind Airbus is Boeing this year? Through the end of July 2026, Airbus held a 51-aircraft advantage on deliveries and a 607-aircraft advantage on gross orders. Boeing is still ahead of its own 2025 pace by 39 aircraft.

What happened to the 777-8? The freighter is expected around two years after the 777-9 enters service. The passenger version is not expected before 2030.