Boeing has started work on developing a new single-aisle aircraft that will eventually replace the Boeing 737 MAX, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The new aircraft is still in the early stages of development, and plans are still being finalized, according to sources who spoke with the WSJ. The company currently appears to be focusing on designing the flight deck for the new narrowbody aircraft.
Earlier in 2025, Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg met with officials from Rolls-Royce Holdings in the United Kingdom to talk about a new engine for the aircraft, according to the WSJ report. Ortberg has appointed a new senior product chief in the commercial plane division, who previously worked on developing a new type of aircraft.
However, Ortberg is yet to publicly confirm details about what kind of aircraft will replace the Boeing 737 MAX.
Boeing outlines new plans amid regulatory challenges
The planemaker’s plans suggest a shift as it continues to face regulatory challenges with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Ortberg has consistently stressed that tackling Boeing’s persistent quality and production problems is his main focus, particularly as the company aims to increase the Boeing 737 MAX production limit, which is currently at 38 aircraft per month following the door plug blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 in January 2024.
Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference on September 11, 2025, Ortberg also announced that Boeing is behind schedule in certifying its new 777-9 widebody aircraft, describing the certification process still ahead as a “mountain of work”.
The grounding of the 737 MAX and its path back to service
The Boeing 737 MAX started operating in 2017 but was grounded worldwide in 2019 after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving the aircraft type.
On November 18, 2020, the FAA lifted the 20-month grounding, the longest ever grounding of a US airliner.
In a statement on September 26, 2025, the FAA announced that Boeing will be permitted to issue some airworthiness certificates for the Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 787 starting September 29, 2025.
