Boeing is preparing to ask the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to increase production of its 737 Max aircraft to 42 jets per month later this year, CEO Kelly Ortberg said Wednesday.
The move follows signs of operational recovery and improved financial performance, with airplane deliveries accelerating in the first quarter of 2025 and losses narrowing compared to last year.
Boeing reported a net loss of $31 million for the first quarter, a significant improvement from the $355 million loss recorded during the same period in 2024. Revenue rose 18% year-over-year to $19.5 billion, slightly exceeding Wall Street expectations of $19.45 billion, according to analysts surveyed by LSEG.
The company’s adjusted loss per share was 49 cents, compared to an expected $1.29 loss. On a per-share basis, Boeing posted a loss of 16 cents, better than the 56-cent loss a year ago. Its cash burn was also reduced to $2.3 billion, an improvement from nearly $4 billion during the same period last year.
The results, which reflect the financial impact only through March 31, do not yet capture the full effect of new tariffs introduced as part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war — a topic expected to dominate Boeing’s 10:30 a.m. ET earnings call.
737 Max Production and Safety Improvements in Focus
CEO Ortberg, who joined Boeing last year to steer the company past a string of manufacturing and safety crises, emphasized progress in stabilizing operations and improving production quality.
Ortberg has frequently highlighted steps taken to enhance safety protocols after a widely publicized incident in January 2024, when a door plug detached mid-flight from a 737 Max jet due to missing bolts. While no fatalities or major injuries occurred, the accident forced Boeing to pause output and now requires FAA approval to surpass 38 aircraft per month in 737 Max production.
The company had also faced significant disruption from a nearly two-month union strike last year, which stalled manufacturing across several of its plants.
Revenue in Boeing’s commercial airplane segment surged 75% from a year earlier to $8.1 billion, with aircraft deliveries increasing to 130 units in the first quarter, up from 83.
“We are moving in the right direction and making progress as we reported our first-quarter 2025 results today,” Ortberg said in a memo to employees. “From delivering more airplanes to scoring a transformational win for the fighter of the future, there is a lot of good work happening across our teams, and we are seeing positive results in the four key areas of our recovery plan that will position us for the rest of the year and beyond.”
Boeing’s defense business, long plagued by cost overruns and quality concerns, saw a 9% drop in revenue to $6.3 billion in the quarter. However, the segment got a much-needed lift after President Trump awarded Boeing the contract to build the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation fighter jet, the F-47.
Strategic Focus and Asset Sales
In a bid to refocus on core operations, Boeing also announced the sale of parts of its digital aviation business. On Tuesday, it disclosed a $10.55 billion all-cash deal to sell its Jeppesen navigation unit and related assets to private equity firm Thoma Bravo.
As Boeing navigates heightened regulatory scrutiny and geopolitical pressures, its first-quarter performance signals cautious momentum in its long-term recovery strategy.
