Boeing is making progress toward launching its fourth 737 MAX production line and expects to open it this summer, executives said this week.
The new production line, known as the North Line, will be located at Boeing’s facility in Everett, Washington. Since the launch of the 737 MAX program over a decade ago, the aircraft series has been manufactured only in Renton, Washington, about 40 miles from Everett on the other side of the Seattle metro area.
Boeing leaders first announced the new line publicly in February. It is expected to help boost production capacity for the 737 MAX above 47 airplanes per month.
The North Line will be capable of building all MAX models, officials said, and will initially focus on production of the 737-8, 737-9 and 737-10. Production will largely mirror the build process used at the Renton factory.
The company said it has completed construction and tooling of the new line, and is now focused on hiring and training workers. The North Line team will include a combination of newly hired employees and current workers from Renton, Everett, and Moses Lake, also in Washington.
When the North Line first begins operations, it will complete a process known as low rate initial production, where the building process is deliberately slowed down to allow for additional checks and adjustments. The first set of aircraft built during this phase will be used to demonstrate conformity to the FAA, which will permit the North Line to operate under Boeing’s production certificate.
Once this process is complete, the new line can be integrated into Boeing’s 737 MAX production flow.
