Boeing heads to Farnborough with certification and supply questions

Boeing plans to show new commercial and defense offerings at the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow after launching new production capacity in Washington state the previous week.

The airshow comes as industry expectations for Boeing begin to shift after a difficult period marked by safety crises, criminal probes and leadership changes. US regulators have recently approved the company to increase production of its top-selling 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Boeing is also nearing final certification for the 737 MAX 7, the 737 MAX 10 and the long-delayed 777X. During a press tour the previous week, Boeing executives said the route to final certification for the three aircraft was clear and that the company was on track with its schedule. Boeing has said it expects US certification in 2026 for the MAX 7 and MAX 10, and that deliveries of the 777X will begin in 2027.

Boeing, which reported annual losses from 2018 through 2024, said earlier in the week that it delivered 314 commercial planes in the first half of 2026, its highest total since 2018. The company’s expected increase in commercial deliveries from newly certified aircraft is central to its long-term goal of reaching $10 billion in annual free cash flow.

Questions about the new jets are expected to follow Boeing at Farnborough. Consultancy Cirium said customers will look for more certainty on certification and delivery dates for the 737 MAX 7, MAX 10, 777-9 and 777-8F. United Airlines executives said on Thursday that they expect to receive 737 MAX deliveries in mid-to-late 2027. United Executive Vice President Andrew Nocella said the airline had waited a long time for the MAX 10 and hoped that wait was nearing an end.

Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia said airlines have been reassured that the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 will soon enter their fleets, but he said questions remain about the 777X. He said people would want clarity on the 777X and that the program still needed to show more evidence of progress.

Boeing officials deferred to the Federal Aviation Administration on the timing of final approval. Chris Payne, vice president of Boeing’s 737 airplane development program, said certification testing on the 737 MAX 7 was fully complete and that required deliverables were 95 percent finished. He said the aircraft was in the final stage of certification, and described upgrades to the engine anti-ice system that had delayed approval.

For the 737 MAX 10, Boeing said flight tests were 98 percent complete, while documentation of results and analysis was 30 percent complete. Work on the MAX 10 has included a revamped enhanced angle-of-attack sensor. The source said a defect in that system contributed to fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, which led to a lengthy grounding. Capitol Hill hearings found weak government oversight of Boeing to be a factor in the MAX crashes, leading to 2020 legislation requiring Boeing to install new angle-of-attack sensors on more than 2,300 MAX planes within two years.

Boeing has completed 50 percent of planned certification flight testing for the 777-9. One test plane was sent to Canada for trials of ice protection systems, while another went to Arizona for testing against high radiated fields such as those produced by radar. Boeing launched the 777X program at the 2013 Dubai Airshow and had originally targeted 2020 for deliveries. Boeing Senior Vice President Mike Sinnett said some delays were linked to changes required under the 2020 legislation, which the FAA had to apply for the first time.

Cirium and Aboulafia also pointed to supply-chain problems affecting Boeing and Airbus, including engines, spare parts and seats. Aboulafia said many of Boeing’s internal problems were behind it, but that the company would face wider industry problems. Ihssane Mounir, Boeing’s senior vice president for global supply chain, said Boeing had confidence in availability from tier-one suppliers but less visibility into other suppliers. He said the supply chain was generally more stable, but that rising rates and volumes would bring more problems.