Boeing will use the Farnborough International Airshow to update customers and suppliers on its recovery rather than chase headline-grabbing order announcements, according to Stephanie Pope, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO.
Speaking to journalists on the eve of the airshow, she said: “Our priority is not order announcements.
“Our backlog is incredibly strong. Demand is not our issue. If we announce some orders along the way, we’ll celebrate with our customers based on if they want to do that.”
Instead, Pope said Boeing will “listen to our customers” and suppliers to “understand what their challenges are, and then we’re going to update them on our progress”.
The airframer has faced well documented production, quality and certification problems in recent years which Pope – who was appointed to oversee the division in March 2024 – has been navigating in an effort to turn things around.
The 737 MAX programme is central to that recovery, with Pope linking Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ financial performance directly to increasing output of the narrowbody family.
“Getting that programme up to rate is very, very important in our recovery,” she explained, adding that improved production performance would also help create the financial and engineering capacity required to develop Boeing’s next aircraft.
Boeing is currently focused on stabilising 737 output at 47 aircraft per month after receiving approval in May from the FAA to increase production rates. Pope declined to commit to a timetable for further increases, saying each step would be governed by the manufacturer’s safety management system and an assessment of whether both its factories and supply chain were ready.
The recently opened North Line at Everett was highlighted as an example of how the company is creating capacity for long-term sustainable rate increases.
Certification also remains a central focus for the airframer, with Pope describing it as her “priority this year”. She said the manufacturer was nearing completion of work on the 737 MAX 7, while flight testing of the larger MAX 10 was almost finished, leaving paperwork and further engagement with the FAA to complete.
The 777-9 certification programme is now more than 50% complete, with Boeing targeting completion of the remaining work this year ahead of first deliveries in 2027.
