Boeing sets July 6 start for new 737 Max line in Everett
CEO Kelly Ortberg told CNBC the Everett line will help Boeing lift 737 Max output as it works under FAA production limits.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Boeing plans to begin work on new 737 Max jets on July 6 at a final assembly line in Everett, Washington, CEO Kelly Ortberg told CNBC. The added line matters because Boeing is trying to raise output of its best-selling narrow-body jet while operating under Federal Aviation Administration limits imposed after a 2024 safety incident.
Ortberg told CNBC the Everett operation will mirror Boeing’s existing 737 Max production setup in Renton, Washington. He said Boeing expects to load the first aircraft onto the new line on July 6, bringing a fourth 737 Max final assembly line into operation.
The Everett line is intended to help Boeing raise 737 Max production to 52 aircraft a month, according to CNBC. That rate is expected to begin next year.
Boeing is currently building 47 737 Max jets a month, CNBC reported, after increasing output from 42 a month earlier this year. The company has been trying to build and hand over more aircraft, but the FAA has kept restrictions on production after a door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines aircraft in January 2024.
CNBC reported that the Alaska Airlines incident led to extended reviews of Boeing’s manufacturing safety and quality controls. Ortberg told the network that Boeing has been working to rebuild its production record and has changed how it raises output.
According to Ortberg, Boeing is waiting for its production system to show stability before moving to higher rates. He told CNBC the company is no longer pushing unfinished work down the line in the way it had done before.
Everett line to start with the Max 10
The new assembly line will initially build the 737 Max 10, CNBC reported. The Max 10 is a stretched version of Boeing’s single-aisle 737 Max family.
CNBC reported that the Max 10 is expected to receive FAA certification before the end of the year. That approval would clear the way for Boeing to make the first deliveries of the model.
Ortberg and other Boeing leaders have set a longer-term 737 Max production target of 63 aircraft a month, CNBC reported. The company’s ability to reach that level depends on whether its supply chain can support the increase.
The 737 Max program remains central to Boeing’s commercial aircraft recovery. The Everett opening gives Boeing more factory capacity, but the pace of any further increase will depend on FAA oversight, internal production stability and supplier readiness, according to CNBC’s reporting and Ortberg’s comments.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.