BoeingBA

has definitely had a year to remember, although it probably wishes it didn’t. After a door plug blew off a newly-delivered 737 MAX in January, prompting an emergency landing, the aviation giant has been attempting to pull off an emergency landing of its own. It’s faced musical chairs at the company’s top job, criminal fines, and greater regulatory oversight — but as the year draws to a close, they might finally have the thing on the ground.

• Earlier this year, amid quality assurance complaints on its 737 MAX and 787 jets, the company shelled out $8.3B to acquire former subsidiary and crucial supplier Spirit AeroSystemsSPR
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• Rounding out its year from hell, Boeing posted a $6B quarterly loss amid a weeks-long strike that led to 20K+ layoffs and a $22B share sale.

Instrument reading: On a brighter note, the company announced Wednesday that it had resumed production at two of its core plants — causingBA

stock to rise 5%. With that jump, the aircraft manufacturer is now up 19% from its recent lows, a sign that investors are betting that the worst has come to pass. Still, down 34% year-to-date, Boeing is a far cry away from where it started the year — and faces a long road runway ahead as it seeks accreditation for new MAX variants and the 777X. But we’ve been fooled before, assuming things are looking up. Only this time, Boeing literally can’t afford another mistake.