Boeing officially started operating a fourth final assembly line for its bestselling 737 MAX aircraft on July 6, marking another major milestone in the manufacturer’s efforts to ramp up production and meet growing global demand.
The new production line, located at Boeing’s Everett, Washington, facility, is expected to play a key role in increasing output of the narrowbody aircraft over the coming months as the manufacturer continues its recovery from years of production and quality challenges.
Everett joins Boeing’s 737 production network
Known internally as the North Line, the Everett facility is Boeing’s first commercial narrow-body final assembly line outside its long-established Renton factory, where every previous generation of the 737 has been built since the 1960s.
Rather than introducing a new manufacturing process, Boeing has replicated the moving assembly system already used across its three Renton production lines. The new facility will initially provide additional production capacity rather than immediately increasing monthly output.
Boeing is currently producing 42 737 MAX aircraft per month and expects to reach 47 aircraft per month following discussions with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company has said the Everett line will support its ambition to increase production to 52 aircraft per month by early 2027.
Supporting Boeing’s long-term recovery
The expansion forms part of Boeing’s wider recovery strategy after years of production disruptions, supply chain challenges and heightened regulatory oversight.
Following the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door plug blowout in January 2024, the FAA imposed limits on Boeing’s production increases until the manufacturer demonstrated improvements to its quality control processes. Since then, Boeing has worked closely with regulators as it gradually increases output.
The Everett site, recognised as the world’s largest building by volume, offered Boeing significant available factory space following the end of 747 production and the relocation of 787 Dreamliner final assembly to South Carolina. Converting part of the facility into a 737 MAX production line allows the company to make greater use of its existing manufacturing footprint while preparing for future demand.
Boeing is also evaluating whether production could eventually increase to 70 aircraft per month, which would represent the highest output rate in the 737 programme’s history as the manufacturer looks to narrow the gap with rival Airbus in the single-aisle market.
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