Boeing reported a big loss for the three months ending in September, but said other measures of its performance had improved, as it released earning October 29.

The New York Times says the company reported more than $23 billion of revenue in the quarter, better than many analysts had expected. And it reported positive free cash flow for the first time since 2023. But the planemaker lost $5.3 billion in the third quarter, driven primarily by a charge for delaying delivery of a new jet, the 777-9, to 2027, compared with a loss of $6.1 billion in the same period last year. 

Boeing is increasing production of the 737 Max, its best-selling plane. “Our sustained focus on safety and quality is driving better performance, while our culture change is improving how we work,” Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s chief executive, said in a message to employees on October 29.

According to the Times, analysts said that the size of the 777-9 charge was disappointing, but that they were encouraged by the company’s overall direction.

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In October, the F.A.A. said it would raise the limit on how many 737 Max planes Boeing could build — a cap put in place after an incident in 2024 where a panel blew off a plane in flight. The Times says the company had stabilized production of the plane at 38 per month in the third quarter, which was the previous limit, and plans to end the year at 42 per month.