FAA: Boeing 737 MAX production not resumed since strike
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday that Boeing has not yet resumed producing 737 MAX airplanes following a machinists strike, but plans to begin later this month.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker this week met with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and toured Boeing’s 737 plant in Renton, Washington, as it boosts oversight following the strike, which ended Nov. 4.
Whitaker said Boeing’s plan is to slowly restart production later this month and he plans another meeting in January as the company ramps up.
“The thing that I was most struck by was we’re four weeks post-strike and they’re still not producing airplanes, because they’re focused on their workforce, the training, making sure they have the supply chain sorted out,” Whitaker told Reuters in a wide-ranging interview.
→ Avia Solutions Group orders up to 80 Boeing 737 MAX Jets
The 737 is Boeing’s top-selling airliner, making the production restart vital to the aircraft maker’s financial future.
Whitaker capped production at 38 737 MAX planes per month in January after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 during a flight that month, exposing serious safety issues at Boeing.
He declined to say when he thought the FAA would restore Boeing’s ability to produce more than 38 planes per month, but said he would be surprised if it was less than multiple months before they get close to the 38 maximum.
“We really get great visibility on that journey up from 0 to 38 to see how they’re doing,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker said he expected to receive a proposed 737 MAX engine de-icing fix as soon as later this month that has been holding up certification of the MAX 7. “We have done everything we can on our side awaiting that solution on the de-icing” Whitaker said. “That solution has to go into the current production line and then has to be part of the certification (application).”
Whitaker, who announced another audit of Boeing in October, has said it could take five years for Boeing to reform its safety culture, but noted the planemaker has deployed a new parts management system and improved training, adding, “What I saw this week was really what I expected to see.”
Related Topics
Saudi Arabia to Order Dozens of Airbus jets, sources say
Airbus Warns Delivery Delays Will Extend Three More Years
Air Niugini Strengthens Its Fleet: Acquires Two Additional Airbus A220
Vietjet Doubles Down on A330neo: Orders 20 Additional Aircraft from Airbus
Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial con 13 años de trayectoria.