What Happened to The Boeing Company (BA) stock?
The Boeing Company's stock has experienced significant volatility since 2020, primarily due to the lingering effects of the 737 MAX crashes, compounded by new quality control issues, production delays, and leadership changes. While the company has shown signs of financial recovery and increased deliveries in 2025 and Q1 2026, it continues to face intense regulatory scrutiny and challenges in ramping up production and certifying new aircraft variants.
Quick Answer
The Boeing Company's stock (BA) has been on a challenging recovery path, marked by persistent quality control issues and production constraints following the 737 MAX groundings and a mid-air panel blowout in early 2024. Despite these setbacks, the company reported improved financial results in Q1 2026, with increased revenue and narrowing losses, and recently regained some self-certification authority from the FAA. However, it continues to face regulatory oversight, delays in certifying new MAX variants, and a new FAA directive for 737 MAX seat inspections as of July 2026.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline13 events
FAA Clears 737 MAX to Return to Service
After a 20-month grounding following two fatal crashes, the FAA announced that the 737 MAX was cleared to return to service in the U.S., with other global regulators gradually following suit.
China Southern Airlines Returns MAX to Service
Chinese aviation authorities, among the last major regulators, allowed the 737 MAX to return to service, with China Southern Airlines resuming flights, approximately four years after the initial grounding.
Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 Door Plug Blowout
An unused emergency exit door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 mid-flight, leading to rapid decompression and prompting the FAA to ground 171 737 MAX 9s for inspections.
CEO Dave Calhoun Announces Resignation
Amid intense scrutiny following the Alaska Airlines incident, Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would step down at the end of 2024. Board Chair Larry Kellner also announced his departure, and Stan Deal, head of Commercial Airplanes, retired immediately.
Boeing Submits Safety Improvement Plan to FAA
In response to heightened regulatory pressure, Boeing submitted a comprehensive safety improvement plan to the Federal Aviation Administration to address systemic quality control and safety issues.
Kelly Ortberg Assumes CEO Role
Kelly Ortberg took over as President and CEO of The Boeing Company, replacing Dave Calhoun, with a mandate to address the company's operational and cultural challenges.
NTSB Cites Boeing's Inadequate Oversight for Door Plug Incident
The US National Transportation Safety Board concluded that Boeing failed to provide adequate training, guidance, and oversight to prevent the January 2024 Alaska Airlines door plug blowout.
Boeing Reports Strong FY 2025 Results
Boeing released its Q4 and full-year 2025 results, showing substantial financial and operational improvements, with 2025 revenue of $89.5 billion and 600 commercial deliveries, the highest annual totals since 2018.
Q1 2026 Results Exceed Expectations
Boeing reported Q1 2026 results ahead of market expectations, with revenue increasing 14% to $22.22 billion and a narrowed net loss, indicating continued recovery.
FAA Restores Boeing's Self-Certification Authority
The FAA restored Boeing's authority to issue final airworthiness certificates for newly built 737 MAX and 787 jets, a key step in streamlining deliveries and production.
New Orders for 787 Dreamliners and 777-8 Freighters
Boeing announced new orders at the Farnborough International Airshow, including 15 787-9 Dreamliners from AerCap and five 777-8 Freighters from MSC Air Cargo, signaling continued demand.
737 MAX 7 Nearing FAA Certification
Industry reports indicated that the Boeing 737 MAX 7 could receive final FAA certification in the latter weeks of July 2026, ending a multi-year regulatory delay.
FAA Proposes 737 MAX Seat Inspections
The FAA warned that seats on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX planes registered in the U.S. may have been incorrectly installed and proposed mandatory inspections, citing potential safety risks.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
The Boeing Company's stock performance since 2020 has been largely defined by its efforts to recover from a series of crises, most notably the two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that led to a global grounding of the fleet. The stock plummeted as the company faced billions in losses, canceled orders, and severe reputational damage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared the 737 MAX to return to service in November 2020, with other major regulators following suit in 2021, marking a crucial step towards recovery.
However, Boeing's troubles were far from over. Throughout 2021-2023, the company grappled with production issues, supply chain disruptions, and further quality control lapses, particularly with its 787 Dreamliner program, leading to delivery delays. The situation intensified dramatically in January 2024 when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 mid-flight. This incident triggered renewed and intense scrutiny from the FAA, which grounded 171 737 MAX 9s for inspections, paused Boeing's expansion plans, and capped 737 MAX production at 38 planes per month.
The fallout from the January 2024 incident led to significant leadership changes. In March 2024, CEO Dave Calhoun announced his decision to step down by the end of 2024, with Stan Deal, head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, also retiring. Stephanie Pope was appointed to lead BCA, and Steve Mollenkopf was named the new independent Board Chair, tasked with leading the search for Calhoun's successor. By August 2024, Kelly Ortberg had replaced Dave Calhoun as CEO, inheriting the mandate to stabilize the company and address its deep-seated cultural and quality issues.
Boeing submitted a comprehensive safety improvement plan to the FAA in May 2024, focusing on elevating safety culture, workforce training, simplifying manufacturing processes, and eliminating defects. Despite these efforts, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated in June 2025 that Boeing had failed to provide adequate training, guidance, and oversight to prevent the Alaska Airlines incident. Financially, 2025 showed signs of a rebound, with annual revenue reaching $89.5 billion, up 34% from 2024, and commercial deliveries totaling 600 units, the highest since 2018. Operating earnings also swung positive to $4.281 billion from a $10.707 billion loss in 2024, though the commercial airplanes segment remained deeply loss-making.
As of July 2026, Boeing continues its recovery efforts under CEO Kelly Ortberg. The company reported Q1 2026 results ahead of market expectations, with revenue increasing 14% year-over-year to $22.22 billion and the net loss narrowing significantly. Boeing aims to increase 737 production to 47 aircraft per month by summer 2026 and expects positive free cash flow for the full year. A significant development in July 2026 was the FAA's restoration of Boeing's authority to issue final airworthiness certificates for newly built 737 MAX and 787 jets, removing a key operational bottleneck. Furthermore, industry reports in late July 2026 indicate that the 737 MAX 7 could receive final FAA certification, a crucial milestone for customers like Southwest Airlines. However, challenges persist, including ongoing delays for the 737 MAX 10 certification and a new FAA warning on July 28, 2026, proposing inspections for incorrectly installed seats on hundreds of 737 MAX planes.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if The Boeing Company (BA) stock made different choices?