Accidents
Boeing to Halt 737 Max Production in January
The U.S. airframe maker cites need to “prioritize” delivery of stored aircraft in its decision to stop producing the 737 Max.
Boeing 737 Max jets sit stored at Boeing Field in Seattle in October 2019. The company logged cancellations for 150 of the narrowbodies during March 2020. (Photo: Barry Ambrose)
Boeing 737 Max jets sit stored at Boeing Field in Seattle in October 2019. The company logged cancellations for 150 of the narrowbodies during March 2020. (Photo: Barry Ambrose)

Boeing will suspend production of the 737 Max in January amid the continued grounding of the narrowbody into next year, the company confirmed after the close of the New York Stock Exchange on December 16, noting that the reduced output would allow it to prioritize delivery of the some 400 aircraft now in storage. The decision came less than a week after FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said the certification process would extend into next year, an eventuality about which Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg warned during the company’s third-quarter earnings call could result in a halt or significant slowdown of production.