One of the biggest problems for aerospace stock Boeing (BA) of late has been that its product line is starting to look a bit dated. More than a few are wondering what comes after the 737 MAX, and the 737 MAX 10 is starting to look like a reasonable entrant. The good news here is that plane managed to step into the latest phase of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) testing, a move that brings it that much closer to production. Boeing shares surged in response, gaining nearly 3% in Friday afternoon’s trading.
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Boeing has been scheduled to start flight testing under Phase 2 of the Type Inspection Authority (TIA) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since just before Christmas. And now, Boeing has started the second major phase of flight testing. This is particularly good news when you consider that flight testing in this case only has two phases. This means that flight testing is actually coming to an end.
Boeing itself is keeping mum about this so far, noting that it is in a “quiet period” before its full-year financial results hit at the end of January. And while Boeing has been ramping up its production lines, it has been doing so on planes that are already familiar. This flight testing will help ensure the last two MAX variants are ready to go, as well as getting takeoff weight enhancements ready for the 787.
Who Wins 2026?
While we recently got a look at who won 2025—Boeing or its immediate rival Airbus (EADSY)—some are already looking ahead to see who is most likely to win 2026. Why such urgency? As it turns out, 2026 is considered a “transition year” for aerospace. Boeing is coming back from its various safety issues. Airbus is trying to turn growing demand into consistent production.
The early word points out that Boeing has a huge rebound potential. Its various safety crises and labor struggles have been, for the most part, resolved, which will let it focus on its comeback. However, Airbus has a clear structural advantage going forward, including a huge order backlog and better confidence from airlines. Even credit agencies are weighing in, noting that Airbus looks great, but any success at Boeing will look better than Airbus’ based on how far from behind Boeing will come.
Is Boeing a Good Stock to Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on BA stock based on 14 Buys, two Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 32.2% rally in its share price over the past year, the average BA price target of $252.43 per share implies 7.97% upside potential.
