Accidents
Boeing 737 Production Threatened by Any Further Max Delay
The U.S. manufacturer continues to cite a fourth-quarter re-certification for the grounded 737 Max.
Boeing 737 Max jets sit parked outside Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington, awaiting an FAA order to lift the model's grounding. (Photo: Barry Ambrose)
Boeing 737 Max jets sit parked outside Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington, awaiting an FAA order to lift the model's grounding. (Photo: Barry Ambrose)

Although as of late last month Boeing continued to cite a fourth-quarter target for authorization from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Boeing 737 Max to return to service, the company also harbored contingencies­—namely, further production-rate reductions or a complete shutdown of the narrowbody assembly line in Renton, Washington—in the event the approval process extended beyond the end of the year. Furthermore, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg acknowledged during the company’s third-quarter earnings call the likelihood of a “phased” certification process in which approval from aviation authorities outside the U.S. would come after the FAA gives its blessing. The timing of the Max’s return, he said, would depend solely on those authorities’ determinations.