Boeing recovery slower to materialize as Spirit deal delays jet profit to 2027

Boeing’s long recovery from years of manufacturing, safety, and supply-chain turmoil hit another speed bump on March 17, 2026, when the company said its commercial-airplane division is now not expected to return to profitability until 2027, a delay tied largely to the cost of bringing Spirit AeroSystems back in-house.   Reuters reported that Boeing Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave told an investor conference the business is now expected to turn a profit next year rather than in 2026 because the Spirit acquisition is proving more expensive than Boeing had anticipated.  

The revised timeline underscores how Boeing is still working through the aftereffects of earlier crises even as production improves. Boeing Commercial Airplanes lost $632 million in 2025 after losing $2.1 billion in 2024, and Malave said the division is expected to post an operating-margin loss of 7.5% to 8% in the first quarter of 2026. That means Boeing still expects 2026 to be a recovery year rather than a true earnings rebound for its core jet business.   Boeing stock is down more than 13% over the last month. 

The company’s effort to stabilize its supply chain has become part of the near-term financial drag. Boeing agreed last year to reacquire Spirit AeroSystems, a major fuselage supplier whose manufacturing problems have repeatedly disrupted Boeing programs. Reuters reported that the higher-than-expected cost of that purchase is now a key reason the company pushed back the commercial-airplane unit’s return to profit.  

Boeing is still pressing ahead with higher production targets, betting that steadier output will eventually improve margins. Reuters reported that the company still plans to raise 737 MAX production from 42 aircraft per month to 47 by the end of 2026 and is targeting 500 aircraft deliveries this year. Boeing also plans to open a fourth 737 production line in Everett, Washington, this summer, with that line expected to produce one aircraft per month initially.  

But the recovery remains uneven. Boeing is repairing 25 undelivered 737 MAX jets because of wiring damage that slightly reduced first-quarter deliveries, even though the company said its full-year targets remain unchanged.  

The planemaker is also still dealing with pressure on the 787 program. Reuters reported that Boeing now expects to deliver 15 Dreamliners in the first quarter, down from an earlier internal target of 20, though it still plans to raise 787 output from eight aircraft per month to 10 by late 2026. Boeing also said it continues to expect FAA certification of the 737-7 and 737-10 in the second half of 2026. The post Boeing recovery slower to materialize as Spirit deal delays jet profit to 2027 appeared first on AeroTime.

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