Boeing Fixes Problem On 737 MAX

Boeing’s May 2026 orders and deliveries show a promising upward trend in output of the most popular 737 MAX family after a wiring-related incident slowed down handovers.

The latest tally for the manufacturer shows a jump in MAX deliveries and comes amid approval from the Federal Aviation Adminsitration under Boeing’s slowed plan to begin scaling production upwards toward 50 units per month after lengthy restrictions.

With Boeing aiming for 500 deliveries on its 737 program this year, the uphill battle remains, but resolving delayed jets and wiring issues means the back half of the year is expected to be strong.

The month also saw the airline book gross orders for 27 jets, including 17 737 MAX jets and 10 787 Dreamliners. May also saw 16 cancellations, bringing the net order tally through the first 5 months of the year to 298.

May Deliveries Rise For Boeing

60 commercial jets were delivered in May, up from 47 reported in April, putting Boeing in a positive position for the month after it faced wiring issues.

The wiring issue was flagged in March, but a brief pause in specific deliveries ensued. While initially confined to the 1st quarter, its impact extended into the beginning of the 2nd quarter, with handovers also affected in April.

The 737 MAX, naturally, forms the backbone of the monthly numbers, with Boeing previously restricted to producing 42 aircraft per month until it demonstrated to the FAA tangible progress on safety and quality and was permitted to scale.

During month 51, 51 MAX aircraft were delivered, the clearest indication that, while the writing issue created a snag in overall output, the planemaker’s ability to recover was swift. 6 of the 787 Dreamliners were also handed over.

With the green light from the FAA, producing 47 units a month on the 737 MAX is a realistic target, with the hope of reaching the low 50s by 2026, taking baby steps under the guidance of the Federal Aviation Administration.

While Boeing saw a strong start to 2026 compared to its competitor, Airbus, the gap between the two is shrinking. Despite Airbus facing its own supply chain struggles, its most recent monthly figure of 81 was significantly higher than Boeing’s.

Boeing Fixes The 737 MAX Issue

For Boeing, the latest disruption on the 737 MAX wasn’t certification, engines, or MCAS, but wiring damage discovered on a set of undelivered aircraft destined for airlines. The findings were traced back to a machining error that caused small scratches on the bundles in the fuselage.

When Boeing identified this, it paused deliveries to inspect the affected jets and rework the wiring to remove these scratches where neccesary. However, the active MAX fleet was not impacted and therefore continued to fly safely, resulting in undelivered units.

The repairs for the affected aircraft were straightforward; the work took not weeks but days to ensure the replacement or protection of the identified scratched sections, so they could then meet certification standards and allow for a handover to the waiting customer. That progress meant May saw an uptick in output as Boeing worked through delayed inventory.

Confidence, despite the wiring concern, has remained high on the 737 Max program throughout 2026 as Boeing continues to invest in improving quality and safety not just in its offices but on the production floor, to formally turn the corner and, with it, be granted permission to scale monthly production rates.