Production Race Kicks Off Between A321neo and 737 MAX as Airbus, Boeing Ramp Up Capacity

Boeing is ramping up additional throughput of new 737 MAX aircraft, notifying employees that a new production line in Everett, Washington in on the way.

The new line will make 4 in all, capitalizing on the long backlog and strong demand for the manufacturer's most popular product. Along with the new production line, the company is reactivating its 3rd line in Renton, which has been dormant Since December 2019 at the start of its MCAS debacle. The shift will help the company build more of the narrowbody jets customers want, while working down the extensive backlog built up after years of dammed-up Max demand. Last year, the company saw almost 700 orders for 737s in the Max family, and delivered 387. Despite hoping to turn out nearly 31 per month, the company has quite a ways to go to fill all their 3,500+ backorders. The line is expected to take shape in mid-2024.

Stan Deal, chief exec at Boeing, penned an email to employees announcing the change. "In addition to preparing the facility, we have begun the process of notifying and preparing our suppliers, customers, unions and employees as we take the necessary steps to create a new line," Deal said.

The move is similar to a change in the making over at Airbus, where the brand has begun installation of an additional line for  its perennially popular A321neo narrowbody jet. The line will utilize the similarly unused facility at Jean-Luc Lagardere in Toulouse, France that once produced the larger A380. An expansion to the production line in Alabama is also on deck for the near future.

FMI: www.boeing.com