Boeing Eyes Production Expansion as New 777-9 Engine Issue Emerges
Seattle, United States — Boeing anticipates delivering roughly 10 percent more aircraft this year compared to 2025, with output at its existing narrowbody and widebody facilities approaching maximum capacity as the manufacturer prepares new assembly sites for future rate increases.
The company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call revealed ambitious production targets. Boeing aims to hand over approximately 500 737s in 2026, representing a 12 percent improvement over the 447 narrowbodies delivered last year. For its Dreamliner program, the manufacturer is targeting between 90 and 100 787 deliveries, up from 88 in 2025.
“Our production roll-outs are going to significantly improve this year,” Boeing Chief Financial Officer Jesus Malave said during the briefing.
The Renton, Washington, facility currently produces 42 737 Max jets monthly, while the North Charleston, South Carolina, campus assembles eight 787s each month. Boeing intends to push Renton output to 47 aircraft monthly before year-end, which represents the maximum achievable at that location. Reaching the manufacturer’s long-term goal of 52 narrowbodies per month will require activation of a planned fourth assembly line at the Everett facility, which has experienced delays exceeding one year.
“I actually don’t think supply chain is going to be a big challenge for us in the next rate ramp, from 42 to 47,” Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg noted, pointing to accumulated parts inventory from years of slower-than-expected production.
The Dreamliner program faces similar capacity constraints. Boeing plans to increase 787 output from eight to 10 jets monthly within the coming year, which represents the current limit at North Charleston. To enable further expansion, the manufacturer broke ground in November on a $1 billion facility expansion that will essentially double the South Carolina campus. The new final assembly building, scheduled to begin operations in 2028, will mirror the existing 1.2-million-square-foot structure.
“We’re doubling the size of the flight line. We’re doubling the size of the factory. We could one day have four production lines running concurrently,” said Lisa Fahl, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of engineering.
The 787 backlog now exceeds 1,000 aircraft with production slots sold through the end of the decade, reflecting sustained demand for the fuel-efficient widebody. At its previous peak in 2018, Boeing produced 14 Dreamliners monthly across facilities in both Everett and North Charleston. The Seattle-area 787 line was consolidated to South Carolina in 2021 as a pandemic-era cost reduction measure.
Engine Setback Clouds 777X Timeline
However, Boeing’s most anticipated widebody program faces fresh uncertainty. The manufacturer disclosed during its earnings call that engineers have identified a durability issue affecting the GE Aerospace GE9X turbofans powering the 777-9, though executives maintain the finding will not derail planned 2027 deliveries.
“We have identified a potential durability issue during a recent inspection on the 777-9 engine, and we’re working with GE to better understand that issue and finalize root cause and corrective action,” Ortberg said.
GE Aerospace confirmed it has launched an on-wing inspection program to support Boeing while joint analysis continues. The GE9X represents the most powerful commercial turbofan ever certified, producing approximately 105,000 pounds of thrust. It was developed exclusively for the 777X family.
The latest concern adds to a history of propulsion-related challenges that have repeatedly interrupted the 777-9 certification effort. In 2024, Boeing grounded its test fleet for five months after discovering failures in titanium thrust links connecting engines to the airframe. A temperature-related GE9X issue emerged in 2022, and durability problems with high-pressure compressor stator vanes caused program delays in 2019.
Despite these setbacks, Boeing reported the Federal Aviation Administration approved the aircraft to begin the third phase of flight testing under its Type Inspection Authorization in late 2025. That certification milestone covers avionics, environmental control systems, and the auxiliary power unit.
The 777-9 certification program has suffered repeated schedule slips, now running approximately seven years behind original projections. Emirates remains the launch customer with orders for more than 200 aircraft across the 777X family. The Dubai-based carrier and other operators have watched delivery expectations shift multiple times as Boeing works through technical and regulatory hurdles.
Boeing returned to profitability in 2025, posting net income of $2.2 billion on revenue of $89.5 billion. The company completed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems in December for approximately $8.3 billion, bringing critical fuselage production back under Boeing’s direct control following years of quality concerns.
Whether the manufacturer can sustain its production momentum while simultaneously resolving the 777X engine findings will likely determine how quickly Boeing can close the competitive gap with Airbus and restore confidence among airline customers still awaiting their widebody orders.
This article was produced in accordance with our editorial standards. Aviantics maintains strict editorial independence.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.