Boeing expects to increase its production rate of the 737 MAX
The beleaguered US aircraft manufacturer Boeing expects an increase in the production rate of its 737 MAX models in the coming months. The production of this aircraft type will "gradually increase" to reach the maximum allowed by the US aviation authority FAA of 38 per month "within the coming months," said Katie Ringgold, head of Boeing's Renton plant, during a meeting with journalists at the facility in the US Pacific Northwest state of Washington.
In January, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 belonging to Alaska Airlines lost a cabin cover during flight and had to make an emergency landing. The FAA then limited the production of Boeing's best-selling 737 MAX model to 38 per month and thus to the level of 2023.
Even this level was not reached by Boeing in the past months due to a backlog in quality control. A FAA advisory committee found significant issues in Boeing's quality control following the Alaska Airlines incident.
Ringgold did not tell the journalists how many 737 MAX planes were last produced monthly during the factory visit. "My focus is not on the rate, it's on safety," she emphasized.
The Alaska Airlines incident and the subsequent FAA restrictions were a heavy blow for Boeing. Before the incident, the company had set a goal to increase the production rate of the 737 MAX to 50 per month.
Boeing aims to significantly increase the production rate of its 737 MAX models, hoping to reach the maximum limit of 38 per month as permitted by the FAA within the upcoming months. Despite the FAA limiting the production to 38 planes per month following the Alaska Airlines incident, Boeing has yet to achieve this rate due to challenges in quality control. Despite the production rate not being the focus, Ringgold emphasized her commitment to prioritizing safety over numbers.
