Boeing Turnaround Gathers Steam as Net Loss Narrows Sharply in 1st Quarter

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg’s aggressive turnaround plan announced in early 2026 appears to be taking hold, as the Arlington, Virginia-based aerospace manufacturer reduced its net loss by 77 percent in the quarter ended March 31.

Boeing on April 22 reported a net loss of $7 million in the first quarter versus a net loss of $31 million in the same quarter of 2025.

While Boeing is still burning through cash, the net cash outflow was $1.45 billion in the first three months of 2026—a slower pace than the $2.29 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2025.

“We’re building on our momentum with a strong start to the year and growing record-breaking backlog across our business, while supporting our customers with inspiring missions like Artemis II,” Kelly Ortberg, Boeing president and CEO, said in a statement.

“With a continued focus on safety and quality, we’re delivering high-quality commercial and defense products and services, while increasing production to uphold our customer commitments and get back to the iconic global aerospace company that leads our industry.”

An increase in commercial airplane production is leading Boeing’s turnaround. Boeing took in total revenue of $22.2 billion in the first quarter compared with $19.4 billion in the comparable quarter of 2025. Its commercial airplane division boosted revenue by 13 percent to $9.2 billion, up from $8.1 billion in the first quarter of 2025.

Boeing’s 737 program has ramped up production to 42 aircraft per month, with total deliveries of 143 aircraft in the first quarter versus 130 in the first three months of 2025. This marks its highest first-quarter deliveries since 2019.

Boeing’s earnings per share loss of $0.20 was significantly smaller than the forecasted loss of $0.66 per share and helped lift the aerospace manufacturer’s stock by more than 5 percent in intraday trading.

Boeing’s Global Services and Defense, Space, and Security divisions also realized gains to start the year. Defense revenue jumped by 21 percent year over year to nearly $7.6 billion, while Global Services was up by 6 percent to $5.37 billion.

Much of Boeing’s recent financial difficulties stem from a Jan. 5, 2024, incident involving a Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft, where a door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport in Oregon. The Federal Aviation Administration  (FAA) grounded all 737-9 Max aircraft in U.S. airspace the following day, and Boeing subsequently halted production of the aircraft at its Renton, Washington, production facility to initiate widespread safety and quality measures.

Boeing’s production was previously capped at 38 planes per month, before the FAA raised the limit to 42 per month in October 2025 following a safety review. Ortberg said in an earnings conference call with industry analysts that production is expected to increase to 47 planes per month by summer as it brings online a new 737 Max production line at its Everett, Washington, facility.

Reuters contributed to this report.