Boeing to cut monthly production of 737 airplanes in wake of two deadly crashes

Employees walk by the end of a 737 Max aircraft at the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington, US, 27 March, 2019–Reuters/ File photo

CHICAGO: Boeing has decided to temporarily move from a production rate of 52 737 airplanes per month to 42 airplanes per month starting in mid-April, the company’s chief executive officer said in a statement.

 “At a production rate of 42 airplanes per month, the 737 program and related production teams will maintain their current employment levels while we continue to invest in the broader health and quality of our production system and supply chain,” said Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg in the statement.

 “We are coordinating closely with our customers as we work through plans to mitigate the impact of this adjustment. We will also work directly with our suppliers on their production plans to minimize operational disruption and financial impact of the production rate change.”

 “We now know that the recent Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accidents were caused by a chain of events, with a common chain link being erroneous activation of the aircraft’s MCAS function,” said Muilenburg in the statement.

“We have the responsibility to eliminate this risk, and we know how to do it. As part of this effort, we’re making progress on the 737 MAX software update that will prevent accidents like these from ever happening again.

 “Teams are working tirelessly, advancing and testing the software, conducting non-advocate reviews, and engaging regulators and customers worldwide as we proceed to final certification. I recently had the opportunity to experience the software update performing safely in action during a 737 MAX 7 demo flight.  We’re also finalizing new pilot training courses and supplementary educational material for our global MAX customers. This progress is the result of our comprehensive, disciplined approach and taking the time necessary to get it right,” he added.

 “As we continue to work through these steps, we’re adjusting the 737 production system temporarily to accommodate the pause in MAX deliveries, allowing us to prioritize additional resources to focus on software certification and returning the MAX to flight,” he explained.