Boeing plans to open fourth 737 production line in midsummer
The planemaker has started training workers to man the line
本文由AI辅助翻译
[LYNNWOOD, Washington] Boeing plans to open a fourth 737 MAX production line in Everett, Washington, in midsummer, a Boeing executive said on Tuesday at an aerospace suppliers conference.
The new line, dubbed the North Line, is part of the US planemaker’s plans to increase production of its popular 737 MAX jet to 63 jets a month in the next few years. It is currently increasing production from 38 jets a month to 42.
Suppliers can expect Boeing to further increase output by about 15 per cent in the next 18 months, Boeing vice-president and 737 programme general manager Katie Ringgold said at the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Association’s Advance 2026 conference.
That would mean reaching Boeing‘s next 737 rate target of 47 jets a month in 2027, not this year, as many industry watchers and investors expect.
Two suppliers told Reuters that Boeing officials had previously told them to prepare for reaching a rate of 47 jets a month this year.
Boeing shares dipped nearly 1 per cent.
The planemaker is recovering from several years of crises that have disrupted its production plans and the broader aerospace supply chain.
Tasked with turning around the company, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has prioritised restoring production stability and has previously said the company would increase production by five planes not sooner than every six months.
The North Line in Everett will mark the first time a 737 has been produced outside Boeing‘s Renton plant south of Seattle. Boeing has started training workers to staff the line.
SEE ALSO
Boeing plans to crank up 737 production to 63 jets a month “over a number of years,” Ringgold told suppliers.
The 737 MAX, Boeing‘s best-selling airplane, competes closely with the Airbus A320neo family in the lucrative single-aisle jetliner market. REUTERS
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
TRENDING NOW
Malaysian tycoon Vincent Tan’s sell-downs point to pruning rather than an exit plan
EU and Asean at 50: time for bold action
Tiger Beer lines up new products as Singapore operations’ role shifts from brewing to innovation
Asean must retain more value as its digital economy races towards US$2 trillion: Indonesian minister