The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has not made any decision on lifting the current production cap of 38 Boeing 737 MAX jets per month, a limit imposed in early 2024 after a mid-air incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters in Washington that while Boeing has made progress, the agency is moving carefully.
“It may not be as fast perhaps as Boeing would like but it is as fast as we can reasonably move through the process,” Bedford said, according to Reuters.
The cap was put in place after a new Alaska Airlines aircraft was found to be missing four critical bolts during an emergency in January. Since then, the FAA has maintained direct in-person oversight of Boeing’s production.
Bedford said he was encouraged by improvements but emphasized the agency is relying on recommendations from its front-line teams.
“None of those recommendations have come up yet. That tells me the work is still ongoing,” Bedford said.
Boeing declined to comment Monday but pointed to earlier remarks by CEO Kelly Ortberg, who said in July the company expected to seek approval “in the coming months” to raise output to 42 aircraft per month.
Bedford also noted that the FAA is under strain as it manages oversight of Boeing, a $12.5 billion modernization of the nation’s air traffic system, and new rulemaking for drones and supersonic aircraft. He said the agency needs significant reform to address what he described as “failing every day in small things” such as broken circuits and telecom lines, Reuters reported.
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