By Dan Catchpole
EVERETT, July 6 (Reuters) – Boeing plans to begin operating a fourth 737 MAX assembly line on Monday at its Everett, Washington, factory.
The new line, known inside Boeing as the North Line, is part of the U.S. planemaker’s long-term plans to significantly increase output of its popular single-aisle jetliner to keep up with historically high global demand for jets.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in June the company would “load” the first aircraft onto the Everett line on July 6. He described the line as a copy of the three 737 final assembly lines in Boeing’s Renton plant, south of Seattle.
The start comes as Boeing ramps 737 production from 42 to 47 jets a month after consulting with the Federal Aviation Administration. The North Line is not expected to contribute to any rate increases before early 2027, when Boeing aims to increase 737 output to 52 jets a month.
The company is studying increasing the 737 production rate to as much as 70 jets per month.
Boeing needs to increase 737 output to help regain its financial footing after years of production disruptions, safety crises and supplier strains.
The FAA imposed limits on Boeing’s 737 production after a January 2024 midair blowout of a door plug on a nearly new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9. The incident intensified scrutiny of Boeing’s manufacturing controls and forced the company to slow output while it addressed quality lapses.
The Everett plant is the world’s largest building by volume. It once housed production lines for the 747, 767, 777 and 787, but it has considerable available factory space after the end of 747 production and the consolidation of 787 assembly in South Carolina.
The 737 MAX competes with Airbus’ A320neo family in the high-volume single-aisle market, where airlines are waiting years for new aircraft.
(Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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