Boeing’s Back in the Groove: 55 jets in September Puts it on Best Pace Since 2018

With input from CNBC, Bloomberg, and Reuters.

Boeing just notched its busiest month in years, handing over 55 airplanes in September as the planemaker’s production finally finds a rhythm after a bruising stretch of safety scares and factory stumbles. It’s Boeing’s strongest monthly showing since 2018 and keeps the company on track for its best annual delivery tally since before the MAX crisis.

Most of the action came from the 737 line. Boeing delivered 40 of its cash-cow 737 MAX jets, with Ryanair taking 10 and Southwest, United, China Southern and lessor AerCap among the other recipients. All told, Boeing has shipped 440 aircraft in the first nine months of 2025, still shy of its 2018 pace for the same period (568) but clearly moving the right direction. Rival Airbus remains ahead with 507 deliveries year-to-date.

The momentum comes even as the Federal Aviation Administration keeps a lid on MAX output at 38 a month, a cap imposed after the January 2024 door-plug blowout that rattled public confidence and triggered intense oversight. New CEO Kelly Ortberg says Boeing is working through the FAA checklist and is planning to lift production to 42 MAX jets a month by year-end, calling the company and regulator “pretty aligned” as long as final quality metrics hold.

September wasn’t just about deliveries. Boeing logged 96 gross orders, highlighted by 50 787 Dreamliners for Turkish Airlines and 30 737s for Norwegian. After accounting adjustments, the tally worked out to 48 net orders for the month. The widebody line also moved, with seven 787s delivered alongside three 777 freighters and four 767s.

That mix matters for Boeing’s finances. Getting more MAXs out the door is key to rebuilding cash, but a steady stream of long-haul 787s and cargo 777s brings margin heft and signals airlines are still betting on international travel and air freight. The company has also been pulling previously built MAX jets out of storage as it reduces its parked inventory and smooths deliveries.

None of this erases the shadow of the past few years, but it does show a production system stabilizing under pressure. If the FAA signs off on that step-up to 42 a month and supply chain kinks stay manageable, Boeing’s 2025 finish could be its strongest since the pre-crisis era — still behind Airbus on volume, but finally closing the gap with something it hasn’t had in a while: consistency.