Boeing 737 Max Production Cap Stays In Place For Now, Says FAA

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reportedly not considering lifting the production cap on the Boeing Co. (BA) 737 Max jet, according to the agency’s acting head, Chris Rocheleau.

Boeing’s shares were down 0.22% at the time of writing.

According to a report by Reuters, Rocheleau told reporters at a House hearing that he is currently not discussing relaxing the limit on the number of 737 Max jets Boeing can produce in a month.

At the moment, this limit is set to thirty-eight 737 Max jets per month.

He also said the agency is not considering relaxing the inspection norms for Boeing 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner jets – the FAA currently inspects all these jets itself before issuing airworthiness certificates for individual planes, rather than delegating it to Boeing.

Boeing had agreed in July 2024 to plead guilty in cases involving two fatal 737 Max crashes and pay a fine of up to $487.2 million.

In May, a lawyer, who represents some of the families of victims of Boeing’s fatal crashes involving the 737 Max aircraft, urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to take the airplane manufacturer to trial in a criminal fraud case over deadly crashes of two 737 Max jets, which killed 346 people.

However, the Justice Department and Boeing recently reached a deal to avoid prosecution in the case.

The DOJ said in its filing that the agreement “guarantees further accountability and substantial benefits from Boeing immediately, while avoiding the uncertainty and litigation risk presented by proceeding to trial.”

Boeing’s stock has gained over 20% year-to-date and more than 13% over the past 12 months.

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