Boeing resumes 737 MAX production after strike, targets recovery amid challenges
Boeing has restarted production of its 737 MAX jetliner, its top-selling aircraft, after a seven-week strike by 33,000 factory workers, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The production line began moving again last Friday, marking a significant step for the debt-laden planemaker as it works toward recovery.
The 737 MAX is critical to Boeing’s revival, with around 4,200 pending orders from airlines eager to meet surging global air travel demand.
However, the production restart, which had not been publicly disclosed, follows a series of challenges that have slowed the company’s plans to scale up production to a target of 56 airplanes per month.
Last week, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chief Mike Whitaker told Reuters that Boeing had not yet resumed 737 MAX production but planned to do so later this month.
He also refrained from providing a timeline for when the company might surpass the current rate of 38 planes per month, citing ongoing safety reviews and regulatory processes.
"I would be surprised if it was less than multiple months before they get close to 38," Whitaker was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Boeing’s ambitions have been hampered by setbacks including two fatal crashes, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, production safety concerns, increased regulatory scrutiny, and the recent labour strike.
Analysts at Jefferies project Boeing will produce an average of 29 737 MAX jets per month in 2025, significantly below its target.
These estimates, shared in a client note on Sunday, reflect the ongoing hurdles Boeing faces in ramping up production.
The planemaker has declined to comment on the production restart or its future timelines, maintaining its focus on resolving the challenges that have slowed its recovery.
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